CMS has issued a Special Alert Memo (QSSAM-26-01-NH) regarding significant updates that affect all nursing home providers. Effective July 2025, CMS transitioned its survey and certification data infrastructure to the new cloud-based Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). This modernization is designed to enhance data quality, reliability and operational efficiency for nursing homes nationwide. However, during the transition, some data discrepancies were identified.
What nursing home leaders need to know:
- Some facilities may notice discrepancies in their data displayed on Nursing Home Care Compare due to the transition. While most data remain accurate, CMS is actively working to resolve any issues.
- The “substantiated” filter for complaints has been removed. Now, all allegations and facility-reported incidents from the past three years are shown, including duplicates and unverified claims. This may result in higher numbers that do not necessarily indicate validated quality concerns.
- Beginning Feb. 25, 2026, CMS will remove the number of complaint allegations and facility-reported incidents from Nursing Home Care Compare. Information about official complaint surveys and citations will remain available.
Action steps for nursing home leaders:
- Review your facility’s data:
- Check your Nursing Home Care Compare profile for any discrepancies.
- If you find issues, report them directly to CMS at [email protected].
- Communicate changes to staff:
- Inform all relevant staff about the new data display policies and the removal of complaint counts.
- Ensure staff understand that higher complaint numbers may not reflect actual quality concerns.
AHCA has been in ongoing communication with CMS since providers began noticing discrepancies in their survey scores that were seemingly related to this transition. CMS informed AHCA that some corrections will be made with an off-cycle update on Jan. 14, 2026. Your Five-Star Preview Reports are automatically placed in your SNF Provider Preview Folder in iQIES. The routine update will also occur later this month.
Members are reminded that LTC Trend Tracker’s Your Top-Line Report is a valuable, complimentary tool to help leaders understand the data used to calculate an organization’s health inspection rating. Review of this publication may also assist in the identification of errors in the data reported on CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Questions about iQIES, CMS Nursing Home Compare,or health inspection rating calculations can be directed to IHCA’s Brenda Irlbeck, VP of Regulatory Affairs, at 515-978-2204.