Bruce Yarwood, AHCA CEO

Nonprofit nursing homes provide a higher quality of care than for-profit facilities, according to an analysis by USA Today of the first ratings of nursing homes by the government’s five-star rating system.

A total of 27% of for-profit facilities received one star, compared with 13% of non-profits, and 19% of non-profits received a five star rating, compared with 9% of for-profits, USA Today found. Many for-profit facilities have low staffing numbers, which could affect their rating, according to USA Today. Nearly 16,000 nursing homes nationwide have been rated on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Web site www.medicare.gov/nhcompare.

Meanwhile, nursing home advocates have continued to speak out against the new system. American Health Care Association president and CEO Bruce Yarwood said Thursday that the new five-star system will not achieve its goal of providing better tools to consumers nationwide because it is based on a flawed survey system.