CMS Proposes Permanent NHSN Reporting Requirements
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed making National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) reporting permanent, which would require nursing homes to continue reporting data on COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. The proposal comes despite concerns from long-term care providers that the reporting requirements are too frequent and redundant, taking up staff time and increasing the potential for fines.
The NHSN reporting requirements were initially implemented in May 2020 as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, CMS is now seeking to extend them indefinitely under a proposed rule for the Home Health Prospective Payment System. The proposal would require nursing homes to report data on cases, vaccination rates, and hospitalizations for major respiratory diseases.
Long-term care providers have expressed concerns about the burden of NHSN reporting requirements, arguing that they are redundant and take away from resident care. Denise Winzeler, RN, of the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing, noted that vaccination rate reporting will become redundant by October 1, 2024, when it will be reported through the Minimum Data Set (MDS). LeadingAge, a nonprofit nursing home group, has also expressed concerns about the proposal, stating that it ignores their advocacy efforts to modify NHSN reporting.
CMS is seeking comments from providers on how to minimize the reporting burden of the NHSN requirements. However, providers are skeptical about whether CMS will take their comments into consideration, given that they have already asked for modifications or elimination of the requirements. The American Health Care Association has also expressed concerns about redundant data reporting and the impact it has on resident care.
The proposal has sparked debate among long-term care providers about the balance between transparency and reasonable data collection versus the need to focus on delivering care to residents. Providers are urging CMS to reconsider the proposal and find alternative ways to achieve its goals without adding to their reporting burdens.