KOHL, GRASSLEY WELCOME CMS MOVE TOWARD INCREASED TRANSPARENCY; MUCH IMPROVEMENT STILL NECESSARY

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) welcomed yesterday's announcement made by Kerry Weems, Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), that the agency is increasing the information made available to consumers on their website, Nursing Home Compare, with regard to which facilities have been designated as Special Focus Facilities (SFF) by the federal government.  Kohl and Grassley also said that CMS has a long way to go in order to achieve the kind of transparency and access to information for consumers called for in their bipartisan bill, the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act (S. 2641), which would require Nursing Home Compare to display accurate, timely information in a format that can be easily understood by consumers across the country. 

 

"Americans should have access to as much information about a nursing home as possible. We appreciate the improvements CMS is making-but in order for this information to make a difference, it has got to be timely, accurate, and perfectly clear to consumers who visit the Nursing Home Compare website. There is more progress to be made," said Kohl.

 

"The government already has this information. Consumers should, too.    More transparency can lead to better quality care. When consumers are empowered with accurate and up-to-date information, their choices will put pressure on problem homes to make improvements," said Grassley.

 

The bipartisan legislation also would require CMS to disclose the full list of SFF program participants, which are considered to be among the worst quality nursing homes in the country. At the urging of Grassley and Kohl, Administrator Weems announced at an Aging Committee hearing last November that the federal government would soon be releasing the list. A partial list was released later that month, and the full list was released in February.

 

On the whole, S. 2641 would improve transparency by providing consumers with better access to standardized, accurate information on how good the care is in nursing homes, including the results of government inspections, the number of direct care staff employed at a home, and information about a home's ownership. The bill also aims to strengthen the government's system of enforcement for homes that are found to have serious quality problems. Under current law, some nursing homes that fail to provide consistently high-quality care can evade penalties year after year by making temporary changes, only to slip out of compliance with federal standards after inspectors leave.

 

Grassley is ranking member and former chairman of the Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over the federal health care programs that pay for nursing home care, and former chairman of the Special Committee on Aging.  Kohl is chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, a standing committee that conducts oversight of issues related to the health, safety, and financial well-being of older Americans. The Grassley-Kohl bill is the product of their attention to nursing home quality over recent months in their respective capacities.

 

The joint legislation has been endorsed by AARP, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Senior Care Institute, the Alzheimer's Association, the Alzheimer's Foundation, Consumers Union, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, and the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR).

 

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To read CMS press release regarding the announcement, click here.

 

To read the Wall Street Journal's story on the announcement, click here .