For Immediate Release

June 5, 2019

Contact:

Aisha Johnson (Casey)

202-228-6367

Bill Jaffee (Toomey)

202-313-2723

Casey, Toomey Secure CMS Commitment to Publicly Release Monthly List of Underperforming Nursing Facilities

April List Includes Approximately 400 Nursing Homes NationwideWith Serious Health and Safety Violations

On Monday, Casey and Toomey Released a Report Detailing Scope of Problem

Washington, DC —Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) applauded the decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to publicly release the monthly list of nursing facilities that are candidates to the Special Focus Facility program. This announcement by CMS comes on the heels of Casey's and Toomey's release of a report on under-performing nursing homes across the U.S. nursing homes.

On Monday, Sens. Casey and Toomey released the April 2019 list of facilities nominated to the Special Focus Facility program. CMS oversees this program for nursing homes with a documented pattern of poor care. The names of the facilities chosen to participate in the program are made public, however, the approximately 400 nursing homes that are not selected to participate were kept hidden from the public, until CMS' announcement today. In order to provide greater transparency to individuals and families, Senators Casey and Toomey requested the names of these additional facilities be made publicly available by CMS. Originally, CMS declined to release this list. 

“There are few decisions more serious or life-altering than that of choosing a nursing home. I am pleased that CMS has taken the work that I have done with Senator Toomey seriously and is heeding our call to release the list of nursing facilities that are nominated to the Special Focus Facility program,” said Senator Casey. “Our bipartisan work will ensure that families have all the information at their fingertips when choosing a nursing home. Now we must work in a bipartisan fashion to ensure the SFF program is working properly and that CMS has the funding it needs to improve underperforming nursing homes nationwide.”

“I applaud Administrator Verma for committing CMS to disclose continuously and update the full list of underperforming nursing homes,” said Senator Toomey. “Ensuring that families have all the information they need about a nursing home will improve the quality of care at facilities across the country. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Casey to improve nursing home quality and transparency at government health care agencies.”

In March, Sens. Casey and Toomey wrote to CMS requesting information on its oversight of nursing homes in the Special Focus Facility program, including those identified by news reports that alleged reports of abuse and neglect.

Read the list here.

Read the report from Sens. Casey and Toomey here.

Read the letter to CMS from Sens. Casey and Toomey here.

Read the CMS response here.

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