L.A. County Supervisors Push To Publicize Nursing Home Ratings
Last week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and the state Department of Public Health to require California nursing homes to publicize their federal quality ratings more aggressively, the Los Angeles Times reports.
On Dec. 18, CMS began posting nursing home quality ratings on its Nursing Home Compare site. The Web site uses a five-star system, with five stars being the highest-quality ranking.
Federal inspectors use three years' worth of data to rate nursing homes. The data is from state inspections and reports the facilities provide.
Homes are scored on staffing and 10 quality measures. Nursing homes receive an overall star rating as well as stars for health inspections, quality of care and staffing.
Details
The supervisors' proposal calls for nursing homes to display quality ratings and include ratings information in admission agreements for new patients.
The supervisors' proposal has drawn criticism from both nursing home officials and patient advocates who maintain that the rating system is not wholly accurate.
Spokespeople for the governor and DPH say the proposal is under consideration (Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times, 1/19). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.