Dec. 17, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lauren Shaham, (202) 508-1219.
CMS Five-Star Rating System is Premature and Poorly Planned
AAHSA believes there should be two types of nursing homes: the excellent and the non-existent. Quality should be an automatic public expectation.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) five-star rating system is a great idea prematurely implemented. We support a consumer-friendly nursing home rating system based on reliable quality information that the public can understand. But what is being launched tomorrow is poorly planned, prematurely implemented and ham-handedly rolled out.
Together, government and providers must be responsible, transparent and accountable for taking care of vulnerable seniors. CMS has key responsibility for defining, measuring and overseeing quality. Data provided by the government must be accurate, reliable, timely, and friendly.
The rating system is based on three pillars: clinical measures, staffing levels and inspection reports. The staffing component is a snapshot and requires much immediate work because staffing is the best proxy for quality. Inspection data is inconsistent.
What needs to be improved about the Five-Star Rating system is:
- Immediate development of a data collection tool around staffing.
- Coordination of the rating system with the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign.
- Overhaul of the survey and certification system with funding provided for a new system.
- Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement that flow through directly for caregiving. The dollars follow the caregiver should be the mantra.
CMS and providers need to give guidance to consumers on other factors like using a five-senses test when visiting a nursing home, relying on community reputation, observation of staff-resident interactions and availability of senior management to address resident and family concerns.