NYTimes Article: NH False Reporting to Medicare.gov Ratings To Increase Their Scores

Jo C.

Five star ratings on Medicare.gov that families depend on when choosing NHs?  Not so fast; all may not be what it seems since NHs do their own reporting, providing numbers in data and no one checks its accuracy  . . . . .

This is something I have ranted about for ages; yet, I still found this lengthy article stunning in its information.  More than ever, a huge concern:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/13/business/nursing-homes-ratings-medicare-covid.html?smid=tw-share

No penalties for such false reporting it seems. 

J.

MN Chickadee

Yes, this is appalling. For those who hit a pay wall, the take away is that the ratings are based on self reported data and inspections, neither of which is telling the whole story. Among The Times’s findings:

• Much of the information submitted by facilities is wrong. Almost always, that incorrect information makes the homes seem cleaner and safer than they are.

• Some nursing homes inflate their staffing levels by, for example, including employees who are on vacation or administrative staff who don't care for patients. The number of patients on antipsychotic medications is frequently understated. Residents’ accidents and health problems often go unreported.

• In one sign of the problems with the self-reported data, nursing homes that earn five stars for their quality of care are nearly as likely to flunk in-person inspections as to ace them. But the government rarely audits the nursing homes’ data.

• Data suggest that at least some nursing homes know in advance about what are supposed to be surprise inspections. Health inspectors still routinely found problems with abuse and neglect at five-star facilities, yet they rarely deemed the infractions serious enough to merit lower ratings.

I found the rating system suspicious when I did my research locally. The homes that have great reputations, people raved about and family members sang their praises had 3 stars, and another known for chronic issues, medication mix ups and theft, and sub standard care showed 5 stars. This article is another reminder that we need to use a variety of factors when choosing a facility, not the least of which is personal accounts and word of mouth recommendations and staffing retention; we need to live close enough to our loved one to drop in frequently and unexpectedly to oversee care; and we also need to demand better of our government agencies and systems that have the power to change this. 

Jo C.

Brookdale being sued by California; this just hit the news:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/california-sues-major-us-nursing-183527204.html

J.