Big CMS changes are coming: Here’s what our SNF clients need to know
On June 18, CMS released new guidance (QSO-25-20-NH) outlining several significant updates to the Care Compare website and the Five-Star Quality Rating System — with key impacts for skilled nursing providers.
These changes aim to increase transparency, improve data accuracy, and simplify the experience for families and consumers. Here’s what you need to know…
What’s changing
- Chain-Level Performance Data (effective July 30, 2025)
CMS will begin publicly displaying performance data (Five-Star Ratings, Health Inspections, Staffing, and Quality Measures) for nursing home ownership groups. This new view on the Care Compare site will help consumers evaluate performance across entire chains, not just individual facilities.
- Health Inspection Rating Calculation (effective July 2025)
CMS will update the Health Inspection rating to include only the two most recent standard surveys (instead of three), in response to ongoing survey backlogs.- The third (oldest) cycle of inspection results will be removed from the calculation.
- Complaint and infection control surveys will still use a three-year lookback period.
- Long-Stay Antipsychotic Measure (effective Oct. 29, 2025)
CMS will revise this measure to include claims and encounter data in addition to MDS assessments. This change provides a more complete picture of antipsychotic use, identifying residents who may have received these medications without MDS documentation. We anticipate CMS will adjust Five-Star cut points as ratings realign with this updated data.
- Removal of COVID-19 Vaccine Data (effective July 30, 2025)
COVID-19 vaccination information will be removed from facility profiles on Care Compare. CMS noted that vaccination rates have stabilized and are no longer a key differentiator in comparing facility quality. This change reflects the end of the public health emergency and a broader move toward long-term data standardization.
How Simple is responding
We received this update the same day CMS released it and immediately began our internal review. Our teams are preparing the necessary system changes and will communicate updates to clients ahead of each CMS rollout.
Simple remains committed to keeping your data and compliance tools aligned with evolving CMS requirements. We’ll share more details as our system changes are finalized.
In the meantime, if you have questions, please reach out to our Support Team. We’re here to help.