CMS will begin displaying a trophy icon for high-performing nursing homes in Nursing Home Care Compare starting October 8, 2026. The icon will appear alongside a facility’s traditional five-star rating. AHCA members should review CMS Memorandum QSO-26-14-NH for additional information.
The guide also provides two technical clarifications:
- Deficiencies cited during a revisit survey are attributed to the initial survey date. CMS will use that initial survey date when determining whether deficiencies must be deduplicated for rating purposes.
- Staffing-rating downgrades related to CMS audits will take effect during the monthly Nursing Home Care Compare update after the response deadline passes or discrepancies are identified. The downgrade period may be extended if repeat audits identify the same discrepancy.
Questions about the updates to the Five-Star Quality Rating System or the new Risk-Based Survey may be sent to regulatory@ahca.org.