Data collection for a skilled nursing facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) measure for COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) started on October 1, 2021. Providers will face penalties in calendar year 2022 if they are not compliant with the NHSN reporting.

The FY 2022 SNF Prospective Payment System final rule adopted two new quality measures into the SNF QRP: the SNF Healthcare-Associated Infections Requiring Hospitalization Measure (SNF HAI) and the COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among HCP measure. 

The penalty for noncompliance would be a 2 percent reduction in the annual payment update (APU) on October 1, 2023, which is the start of fiscal year 2024. Review the CMS SNF QRP FAQs for more details.

As a reminder, nursing facilities are already subject to survey citation for not submitting their NHSN data weekly. At least monthly reporting is required for the QRP to avoid the APU penalty. However, it is important to note that missing a QRP reporting month puts Medicare funding for an entire fiscal year at risk.