A new website that will allow consumers to view quality ratings for skilled nursing facilities is slated for release in October 2018, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services officials said in late February.

The Skilled Nursing Facility Compare website was mandated by the IMPACT Act and will include data from the SNF Quality Reporting Program, CMS representatives said during an IMPACT Act status update call.

The agency is currently in an “exploratory phase” of how the new website will be integrated with the Nursing Home Compare site, they added.

The IMPACT Act call included updates on the Transfer of Health Information measures, which began the first phase of pilot testing in January. A second phase, which calls for data collection using mock assessment items, is expected to begin late this summer.

A national beta test of standardized patient assessment data elements also is slated to kick off later this year in 14 markets, officials said. Final reports on the elements are expected to be published in September 2018.