In the first of a series of recent announcements by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency said it has identified an issue with one of the data files scheduled for the Nursing Home Compare refresh. 

This issue means all new files will have to be processed again. To ensure data accuracy and quality, CMS said it will be delaying the January refresh to Feb. 5. 

Also, CMS said it has a new fact sheet for review. Titled, “Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Combined Assessments and Annual Payment Update (APU) Impact: How Medicare 5-Day and Prospective Payment System (PPS) Discharge Combined Assessments Affect Your Facility’s APU Calculation,” the one-pager illustrates how Medicare 5-Day and PPS Discharge combined assessments can impact a skilled nursing facility’s APU calculation.  

There are also sections on what happens if MDS Assessments meet APU requirements or fall short. Access the document at https://tinyurl.com/3nvxmcca.

Separately, CMS said it has updated the Quality, Certification, and Oversight Reports (QCOR) on the website at S&C QCOR | Home. The development follows a data freeze in July 2025 tied to the transition from the legacy Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES) to the cloud-based Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES).  

Updated QCOR reports currently available include: Active Provider and Supplier Counts, New Provider and Supplier Counts, Terminated Provider Counts, Survey Activity Report, Deficiency Count Report, and Citation Frequency Report.  

And, finally, the agency said the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) will hold a webinar on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. EST. The webinar features Dora Hughes, chief medical officer of CMS and director of CCSQ. The CCSQ leadership team will provide an update on the work to strengthen healthcare quality, safety, and coverage, among other issues.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/29mpsde2