Trump Administration Unveils Enhanced Enforcement Actions Based on Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspection Results
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled enhanced enforcement for nursing homes with violations of longstanding infection control practices. This announcement builds on the previous actions CMS has taken to ensure the safety and security of America’s nursing homes as the nation battles coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
CMS will increase enforcement (e.g., civil money penalties (CMPs)) for facilities with persistent infection control violations, and impose enforcement actions on lower level infection control deficiencies to ensure they are addressed with increased gravity. They plan to provide technical assistance through Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) for those facilities that need assistance with infection control implementation.
CDC-collected data will be posted on a link on Nursing Home Compare later this week. The data will be broken down by state, number of residents and number of staff and will be searchable by facility name and updated weekly. CMS is also ratcheting up penalties for noncompliance with infection control for nursing homes have had past infection control deficiencies.
The full list of CMS Public Health Action for Nursing Homes on COVID-19 to date is included in a chart in the press release, along with links to the state survey memo, letter to the Governors, and state breakdown of the Nursing Home COVID-19 data.
Read the full press release.
