In an effort to enhance transparency within the nursing home sector, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have commenced publishing affiliations of nursing home on Nursing Home Care Compare. The undertaking by CMS aims to facilitate consumers in identifying related institutions in a more streamlined manner, in addition to enabling an understanding of the collective performance of ordinary owned facilities. It is anticipated that the agency will formulate links between facilities predicated on common ownership. Furthermore, the aggregate data concerning nursing home performance will also be publicized.
Arnall Golden Gregory LLP pointed out that this move is a progression of a years-long endeavor to improve clarity in the nursing home industry. There has been a pressing need for transparency in the industry, especially considering the aging population requiring these services. The availability of comprehensive information could play a vital role in helping families make informed decisions about nursing home placements, thus progressively improving the overall industry’s service level.
The entire repo of the nursing home affiliations is published on Nursing Home Care Compare. The website allows users to compare information about nursing homes. It includes details about quality measure ratings, staffing, health and fire safety inspections, and nursing home penalties.
While the advent of such a disclosure measure is inevitably a pivotal development for the industry, it’s worthwhile to closely monitor how these disclosures might affect the operational dynamics among nursing home chains with multiple facilities sharing common ownerships. Legal professionals in the healthcare sector might also need to assess the potential implications this new platform might afford.