Ratings

A newly announced plan to mine data from Medicare Advantage plans might give many operators an unexpected spine shiver.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is gearing up to make changes to its Nursing Home Compare website over the next few months, the agency has noted.

The nation's first nursing home rating system is an important tool for consumers, but changes can be expected, said the country's highest health official on Tuesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said criticism about always assigning certain percentages of facilities "excellent" or "failing" grades is "serious" and deserves further consideration.

The continuing care retirement community sector is facing a negative outlook over the next 12 to 24 months, according to the newly released CCRC Median Ratios report from Fitch Ratings. Fitch will hold a conference call at 11a.m. EST this morning to discuss the findings.