On January 14, 2022, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updated the Technical Users’ Guide for the Care Compare Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System. While this information will be publicly reported starting in January, it will not be used in the Five-Star Quality Rating System until July 2022.
Here is what you need to know about the changes. Starting with the January 2022 refresh on the Care Compare Website, CMS will begin to report the following:
Weekend Staffing Measure
CMS will begin posting information on the level of total nurse and registered nurse (RN) staffing on weekends provided by each nursing home over a quarter on the Medicare.gov Care Compare website. Two measures will be posted: total number of nurse staff hours per resident day on the weekend and total number of RN hours per resident day on the weekend.
To calculate weekend staffing, the nursing hours reported through Payroll-Based Journal and the Minimum Data Set census are both gathered across all weekend days (Saturdays and Sundays) in the quarterly reporting period. The quarterly reported weekend nurse staffing hours per resident day are then calculated by dividing the cumulative reported weekend hours by the cumulative weekend resident census. Only weekend days with at least one resident are included in the calculations.
Turnover Measure
CMS will also begin posting staff turnover information on the percentage of nursing staff and number of administrators that stopped working at the nursing home over a 12-month period on the Medicare.gov Care Compare website. Three turnover measures will be posted: total nurse, registered nurse (RN), and nursing home administrator turnover. Turnover information will be used in the Five-Star Quality Rating System starting in July 2022.
The turnover measures are generated using data from CMS PBJ System. Using data submitted through PBJ, annual turnover measures for RNs, total nurses (RNs, licensed practical/licensed vocational nurses (LPNs), and nurse aides), and nursing home administrators are constructed. The PBJ job codes included in turnover measures for RNs and total nurses are consistent with those used for the staffing level measures reported on the Medicare.gov Care Compare website.
Below are the definitions that are used for the staff types included in the turnover measures:
- RNs: Includes RN director of nursing (job code 5), RNs with administrative duties (job code 6), and RNs (job code 7)
- Total Nurses: Includes RN director of nursing (job code 5), RNs with administrative duties (job code 6), RNs (job code 7), LPNs with administrative duties (job code 8), LPNs (job code 9), certified nurse aides (job code 10), aides in training (job code 11), and medication aides/technicians (job code 12)
- Nursing home administrators (job code 1)
Additional Resources
Care Compare Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System Technical Users’ Guide
Contact Us
Contact your local Blue & Co. Advisor or a member of our Post Acute Care team, and we can assist you with any questions regarding the updates to the Technical Users’ Guide for the Care Compare Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System.
Landon Hackett, Director
317.713.7929
Stephanie Fey, Manager
502.992.2582
Kayla Shelton, Senior Accountant
317-275-7414
