July 2022 Updates to the Five-Star Quality Rating System Staffing Domain
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently added new staffing measures to the calculation of the staffing star rating on Care Compare for the July 2022 refresh. In addition to the two current measures used, four new measures were added, including:
- Total nurse (registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse, and nurse aide) staffing hours per resident per day on weekends;
- Total nurse staff turnover within a given year;
- RN turnover within a given year; and
- Number of administrators who have left the nursing home within a given year.
Unlike the current methodology of assigning a staffing rating based on RN and total nurse staffing hours per resident day (HPRD), calculation of the staffing domain for the July refresh will be based on a point system. Performance on each of the six measures will be converted into points, much like the way the quality measures rating is calculated. The points for all six measures will then be tallied, and a staffing star rating will be assigned. A separate RN rating will not be calculated or reported on Care Compare.
Another change is to the methodology to calculate the overall star rating. Unlike the current methodology that adds a star to the overall rating if the staffing rating is four or five stars and is greater than the health inspection rating, the methodology that will be used at the July refresh will only add a star to the overall rating if the staffing rating is five stars.
Access your July Provider Preview Reports to preview your five-star ratings that will be reported on Care Compare at the July refresh. CMS has posted a fact sheet that summarizes the methodology changes that will be used for the July refresh. Details on how ratings will be calculated can be found in the updated Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System Technical Users’ Guide.
These changes will be incorporated into the Five-Star Analysis Reports following the July refresh and are expected to be distributed to members on Aug. 15, 2022.
Contact: Susan Chenail, schenail@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383 ext. 116