LeadingAge WIN: Care Compare Updates

Following a letter sent by LeadingAge to CMS on November 13, urging consideration of key priorities after the federal government shutdown, CMS updated Nursing Home Care Compare on November 20.

As you may recall, the Health Inspection domain and rating had been frozen since August and was originally scheduled to update on October 29, along with the Staffing and Quality Measures domains and the overall Five-Star rating as part of the quarterly refresh. However, the shutdown delayed this process.

LeadingAge requested CMS to conduct an off-cycle refresh rather than waiting until the next scheduled update in January 2026. We are pleased to report that CMS acted on this request—the November 20 update includes all three domains and the overall Five-Star rating. The next quarterly refresh remains scheduled for January.

Providers should now see the impact of these updates reflected in their ratings. If you notice any discrepancies or potential errors in your Five-Star or domain ratings, please contact CMS through the Care Compare Helpdesk at bettercare@cms.hhs.gov.

Contact: Carrie Mosley, cmosley@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383 x. 147

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Take Action

Reject Proposed Cuts to Home Health Care and Support Strong HUD Funding
LeadingAge National provides several important advocacy alerts, including alerts urging CMS to rescind proposed cuts to home health Medicare FFS payment rates, urging Congress to support strong HUD funding, and urging Congress to support foreign-born workers in aging services. Please take action today using these simple links!
Urge Congress to Protect Medicaid in 2025!
Congress is moving through the budget reconciliation process, which aims to reduce federal spending by approximately $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. Given the significant amount of savings being sought, Medicaid is a highly likely source of cuts (potentially up to $880 billion). Write to your members of Congress today to urge them not to include Medicaid cuts or harmful changes as part of budget reconciliation bills or other legislation.