David Gifford, MD, AHCA Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs

Responding to the changes in the Five-Star ratings on Nursing Home Compare, AHCA Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs Dr. David Gifford issued a statement emphasizing that “The abrupt change in star ratings for nursing centers may be confusing to consumers, residents, and their families. By moving the scoring ‘goal posts’ for two components of the Five-Star system, CMS will cause more than 30 percent of nursing centers nationwide to lose one or more stars overnight—even though nothing changed in staffing levels and in quality of care, which is still being practiced and delivered every day.

Gifford’s statement continues, “Since the launch of the profession’s metric-based Quality Initiative in 2012, nursing centers have made significant improvements in the quality of care residents receive. While the Five-Star system can be a helpful tool, consumers should not rely on it exclusively when choosing a nursing center for themselves or a loved one. As changes are made in the future, we look forward to continuing to work with CMS to ensure that additional Five-Star changes are less confusing.”

Read more: AHCA Says Five-Star Ratings Changes Will Confuse Customers, Distort Quality (providermagazine.com, April 24, 2019)