In connection with the Biden-Harris administration’s stated goals of improving safety, transparency, accountability and quality in nursing homes, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced new actions to further nursing home safeguards. These actions include targeting the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications and revamping their Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program to improve overall nursing home quality. In the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, CMS has taken material steps to advance the Biden-Harris administration’s intentions of promoting nursing home safety, transparency, accountability and quality. Specifically, on October 21, 2022, CMS announced revisions to its Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program, which focuses on the country’s poorest-performing nursing facilities. And on January 18, 2023, CMS announced new actions to help reduce inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in the senior services industry. We review these developments in this alert.
