CMS lists poor performing nursing homes on consumer Web site
CMS lists poor performing nursing homes on consumer Web site
As of this month, 134 nursing homes (out of 16,000 active in the United States) are on the so-called special focus facility (SFF) list, CMS said. The Web site, which is geared to consumers, also mentions whether a facility has been on the list previously. Those on the list have a history of poor performance or repeated violations of state and federal health and safety rules, or both. Once a facility is selected as an SFF, the state survey agency conducts surveys twice as frequently. It also will apply progressive enforcement until the facility improves or becomes terminated from Medicare and/or Medicaid.
CMS also released information on actions it plans to take this year to improve nursing home care. They include providing easy-to-read information about long-term care to consumers, developing initiatives to improve the survey process, and focusing on quality through quality improvement organizations.
A copy of the full 2008 nursing home action plan can be found at:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CertificationandComplianc/12_NHs.asp#TopOfPage.
Nursing Home Compare can be accessed at www.medicare.gov.
