The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released QSO-25-11-NH Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Acute Respiratory Illness Reporting Requirements, which replaces QSO-20-29-NH Interim Final Rule Updating Requirements for Notification of Confirmed and Suspected COVID-19 Cases Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes.
Beginning on January 1, 2025, nursing homes must electronically report information about COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) weekly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Health Safety Network (NHSN), which includes:
- Resident vaccination status for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV;
- Confirmed resident cases of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV (overall and by vaccination status); and
- Hospitalized residents with confirmed cases of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV (overall and by vaccination status.
CMS will develop guidance for surveyors to evaluate compliance with the new acute respiratory illness reporting requirements and provide information on enforcement actions for non-compliance. When created, CMS will provide a future notification. This does not alter the effective date of the regulatory requirement for reporting.
Reminder: NHSN LTCF Component - Respiratory Pathogens and Vaccination Updates Webinar Replay
On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 1 PM Eastern, the NHSN Team will provide an encore of the December 11th training, which includes:
- The newly combined reporting form for Respiratory Pathogens and Vaccination.
- The required reporting fields begin on January 1, 2025.
- The new definition for Q1 2025 for Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines.