HHS OIG Data Brief • August 2020 • OEI-04-18-00450 

Why This Review Is Important Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels

Nurse staffing is a key contributor to the in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer 

quality of care provided in nursing homes. 

This review, initiated before the COVID-19 Transparency Could Be Increased

pandemic emerged, focuses on staffing data What OIG Found 

from 2018. However, the 2020 pandemic Key Takeaway

Nursing homes must have a registered nurse reinforces the importance of adequate Nursing homes’ reported (RN) on staff at least 8 hours each day and staffing for nursing homes, as inadequate staffing levels often vary on a licensed nurse (i.e., RNs and licensed staffing can make it more difficult for nursing day-to-day basis, and 7 percent practical/vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs) on homes to respond to infectious disease fell below required Federal staff around-the-clock to meet Federal outbreaks like COVID-19. staffing levels on at least 30 staffing requirements. However, 7 percent of total days in 2018. CMS’s Star Consumers need meaningful information nursing homes reported at least 30 total days 

about nurse staffing at nursing homes to in 2018 with staffing below one or more of Rating System ranks nursing 

make informed care decisions. The Centers these requirements. Additionally, another homes on their average staffing 

for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 7 percent of nursing homes reported levels each quarter; as a result, 

created the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ)—a between 16 and 29 days with staffing below daily staffing variations are not 

system containing self-reported provider required levels in 2018. Most of the days (65 transparent to consumers.

data—to collect nursing homes’ daily staffing percent) that nursing homes reported staffing 

hours. CMS requires a minimum number of below required levels fell on weekends. This raises concerns that some of these 

daily hours for different types of nurses, but nursing homes may not have fully met their residents’ needs in 2018. 

CMS does not use PBJ data to enforce daily To further incentivize nursing homes to staff RNs every day, CMS implemented a Federal staffing requirements. CMS uses PBJ policy in 2018 to downgrade nursing homes’ Staffing Star Ratings to 1 Star for data to calculate and publicly report Staffing having at least 7 total days within a quarter with no reported RN time. Following Star Ratings on Nursing Home Compare. CMS’s announcement of this policy, 27 percent fewer nursing homes reported at Prior public releases of PBJ data indicate that least 7 days without any RN time. At the same time, 7 percent more nursing homes some nursing homes report low nurse reported days with some RN time, although less than the required 8 hours per day. staffing, which could impact residents’ quality These trends suggest overall improvements in staffing levels. However, the nursing of care. However, CMS does not regularly homes reporting days with greater than zero hours but less than the required eight publish information on day-to-day nurse hours of RN time appear to be falling short of meeting staffing requirements in staffing levels. ways that this penalty does not address. 

How OIG Did This Review Finally, CMS’s Star Ratings, based on quarterly averages, do not convey the extent We analyzed nursing homes’ 2018 daily to which staffing varies day to day. Some nursing homes’ reported staffing levels staffing data from the PBJ. We determined varied considerably from day to day, while other nursing homes’ daily staffing levels how frequently nursing homes reported daily were more consistent. Presenting only quarterly staffing averages does not enable staffing below federally required levels in consumers to identify and consider daily staffing differences when choosing a 2018 and identified quarterly trends. We nursing home. compared nursing homes’ quarterly Staffing 

Star Ratings to their daily staffing. To discuss What OIG Recommends

residents’ experiences, we also surveyed 20 We recommend that CMS: (1) enhance efforts to ensure nursing homes meet daily 

Local Long-Term Care Ombudsmen (Local staffing requirements and (2) explore ways to provide consumers with additional 

LTCOs). We obtained their perspectives on information on nursing homes’ daily staffing levels and variability. While CMS did 

the ways daily fluctuations in nurse staffing not explicitly state concurrence with the recommendations, CMS outlined the 

may affect residents in the nursing homes actions it has taken and plans to take to achieve the recommendations’ goals.

that the Local LTCOs monitor. 

Final report found at: https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-04-18-00450.asp 
 1 

BACKGROUND 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has long identified nurse staffing as a vital 

component of a nursing home’s ability to provide quality care.

1, 2

 For instance, research has found that the 

presence of a registered nurse (RN) improves residents’ quality of care and outcomes.

3

 This review, 

initiated before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, focuses on staffing data from 2018. However, the 2020 

pandemic reinforces the importance of sufficient staffing for nursing homes, as inadequate staffing can 

make it more difficult for nursing homes to respond to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19.4, 5 

Each type of nurse fills important roles at nursing homes. For example, RNs are responsible for overseeing 

the delivery of residents’ overall care, while licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs) care for 

residents under an RN’s direction.6

 Together, licensed nurse staff (i.e., RNs and LPNs/LVNs) ensure each 

resident’s care plan is being followed and that their needs are being met. Nurse Aides (Aides) work under 

the direction of licensed nurse staff and provide most of the day-to-day care for residents (e.g., activities of 

daily living, like eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, transferring, and toileting) 24 hours a day, 7 days a 

week (around the clock).7

 

Federal Staffing Requirements

Federal law requires all nursing homes to provide enough staff to safely care for their residents.8 More 

specifically, unless they are waived, CMS regulations require that nursing homes provide on each day

(1) 8 consecutive hours of RN services and (2) around-the-clock licensed nurse services.9

 

Federal Requirements for Staffing Data

Nursing homes are required to electronically submit their staffing information to the Payroll-Based Journal 

(PBJ).10 Nursing homes must submit direct-care staffing information based on payroll and other verifiable 

and auditable data in a uniform format as specified by CMS.11 This information must include the category 

of work an employee performs, such as whether the employee is an RN, LPN/LVN, Aide, therapist, or other 

medical personnel.12 

Nursing Home Compare

CMS’s website, Nursing Home Compare, allows consumers to review information about nursing homes 

participating in Medicare and/or Medicaid. This information includes the quality of care provided, staffing, 

and inspection results. Nursing Home Compare has a quality rating system that gives each nursing home

an overall rating between 1 and 5 stars (i.e., the Five-Star Quality Rating System).

13 Nursing homes with 5-

star ratings are considered to have above-average quality, and nursing homes with 1-star ratings are 

considered to have below-average quality.14 Each nursing home’s overall quality rating is based on star 

ratings of its performance in three areas, one of which is Staffing.

15, 16 

Staffing Star Ratings. In April 2018, CMS began using the PBJ to calculate Staffing Star Ratings for Nursing 

Home Compare.17 The Staffing Star Rating is based on two separate measures—each with its own Star 

Rating—that are associated with quality of care: (1) the RN measure and (2) the Total Nurse (TN) 

measure.18, 19 The RN and TN staffing measures reported in the Five-Star Quality Rating System do not 

assess compliance with Federal staffing requirements. Instead, the RN measure reports the quarterly 

average RN staffing hours per resident at each nursing home, adjusted by the residents’ health needs.20 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 

OEI-04-18-00450 
The TN measure reports the quarterly average staffing hours for RNs, LPNs/LVNs, and aides per resident at 

each nursing home, adjusted by the residents’ health needs. For additional information on how CMS 

calculates Nursing Home Compare’s RN, TN, and Overall Staffing Star Ratings, see Appendix A.

After analyzing PBJ data and identifying that some nursing homes reported many days with no RN time in 

2017, CMS reminded nursing homes of Federal staffing requirements in April 2018.21 As a result, also in 

April 2018, CMS announced that any nursing homes reporting at least 7 total days in a quarter without any 

RN time would have their Staffing Star Rating automatically downgraded to 1 Star.22, 23 The policy change 

impacted Staffing Star Ratings presented on Nursing Home Compare starting in July 2018.

State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs

In 1972, the Administration on Aging (AoA) began the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) as 

a demonstration program.24 Since 1978, the LTCOP has required each State to have a State Long-Term 

Care Ombudsman (State LTCO).

25 The program was expanded in 1987 to allow State ombudsmen access 

to nursing homes’ and residents’ records and designate local ombudsman programs.26 The State LTCO is 

the contact for all ombudsman activities within the State. Local Long-Term Care Ombudsmen (Local 

LTCOs) implement the nursing home LTCOP. Ombudsman programs fulfill many roles within the nursing 

home, such as educating and training facility staff and residents; providing technical support for resident 

and family councils; and conducting a complaint or mediation visit to resolve a complaint.27 

Resident Complaint Process. To file a complaint, nursing home residents and their family members or 

designated representatives may directly contact their State LTCOP office or their Local LTCO. When a 

resident registers a complaint, the ombudsman whom the resident contacted acts as a resident advocate 

by assisting and empowering residents or their representatives in resolving complaints. If the Local LTCO 

encounters difficulty resolving complaints or concerns, the State LTCO may provide assistance. The State 

LTCO assists the Local LTCO when technical information is needed, or with system-wide problems.28

METHODOLOGY

We analyzed staffing data for nursing homes from the PBJ for calendar year 2018. We also analyzed 

companion datasets from the Minimum Data Set (MDS), which CMS uses to calculate staffing measures on 

Nursing Home Compare. 

We determined how frequently nursing homes reported daily staffing levels below required Federal levels 

for RN and licensed nurse staff using PBJ data. We also determined how frequently nursing homes 

reported days without any RNs. However, we make no determination of compliance with Federal RN 

staffing requirements because PBJ data do not include unpaid hours salaried nurses may work. Therefore, 

actual hours that RNs or licensed nurses worked at nursing homes in 2018 may be higher than the PBJ data 

reflects. Finally, we determined how frequently nursing homes’ daily staffing levels did not match their 

quarterly Staffing Star Ratings. We surveyed 20 Local LTCOs regarding how nurse staffing levels at their 

respective nursing homes affected residents’ quality of care. See the Detailed Methodology section for 

more information. 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 2 

OEI-04-18-00450 
RESULTS

Seven percent of Seven percent of nursing homes (943 of 12,862) reported at least 30 total 

nursing homes days with staffing below 1 or more required levels in 2018 (see Exhibit 1). 

Additionally, another 7 percent of nursing homes (900 of 12,862) reported 

reported staffing between 16 and 29 days with staffing below 1 or more required levels in 

below required 2018. Forty percent of nursing homes (5,127 of 12,862) reported 1 to 15 such 

days. Most of the days (65 percent) that these nursing homes reported 

levels for at least 30 staffing below required levels fell on weekends (see Exhibit 2). See 

total days in 2018 Appendices B and C for additional information on nursing homes reporting 

staffing below required levels. 

Some of the Local LTCOs (11 of 20) reported that daily staffing for licensed 

nurse staff (i.e., RNs and/or LPNs/LVNs) was problematic at the specific 

nursing homes that they monitored. When RNs or licensed nurse staff are 

not present, residents may be negatively impacted because their care plans 

may not be implemented correctly. When RNs and licensed nurse staff are 

not present to adequately supervise Aides, residents’ day-to-day care 

needs—such as bathing, grooming, and toileting—may not be met, which 

can contribute to a variety of health problems, such as pressure sores, 

urinary tract infections, and falls. 

Exhibit 1. Seven percent of nursing homes reported at least 30 total

days with staffing below required levels in 2018

12,862 nursing homes

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

58 days

Average number of days this 7 percent 

of nursing homes did not have an RN on 

staff for at least 8 hours 

15 days

Average number of days this 7 percent 

of nursing homes did not have licensed 

nurse services for at least 24 hours 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 3 

OEI-04-18-00450 
Ombudsman Perspective: Residents’ Experiences When Nursing Homes 

Report Many Days With Staffing Below Required Levels 

A scarcity of hall nurses (i.e., RNs and/or LPNs) led to poor supervision and

Aide accountability. This led to some care issues.

- Local LTCO in Arkansas 

Systemic concerns from family members and residents were call lights not 

being answered because of lack of Aides and medication errors or 

medications not being given in a timely manner due to lack of LPNs and RNs. 

Wound care or bathing was not being provided because of staff shortage or 

staff calling off often. Falls or injuries were not reported or documented in the 

residents’ charts. 

Discharge planning and/or proper discharges were a concern. 

If a resident asked a staff at the facility for water or pain medication, toileting, 

etc., the staff would state "you need to wait because we are short of staff."

- Local LTCO in Illinois 

My residents go for a week at a time without being showered. They complain 

of not getting their medications on time, which causes pain and agitation. 

We are already dealing with a population that has behavioral issues; add

medications not being given in a timely manner, if at all, it's just not a good 

mix.

- Local LTCO in Texas 

Exhibit 2. Most of the days when reported nurse staffing fell below 

required staffing levels were on the weekend in 2018

65% of days

that nursing 

homes reported 

staffing below 

required levels fel

on weekends 

NOTE: We analyzed the total number of days in 2018 at 12,862 nursing homes when reported RN and 

licensed nurse staffing fell below required levels. 

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

l 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 4 

OEI-04-18-00450 
Ombudsman Perspective: Residents’ Experiences When Weekend Staffing Is 

Below Required Levels 

There are not enough RNs on night shifts. LPNs always seem to staff 

weekends and nights. There are never enough Aides to help the residents.

There is not someone "in charge" after hours and/or [on] weekends. 

Residents’ problems are referred to the next working day.

- Local LTCO in Texas 

Weekend staffing issues do impact residents in a negative way; there are 

always complaints that the [nursing homes] are short-staffed. 

There are a lot of resident-to-resident altercations and falls [in a facility that 

has a dementia unit and in which residents need additional care].

- Local LTCO in California 

Fewer nursing CMS announced in April 2018 that it would automatically downgrade 

homes reported nursing homes’ Staffing Star Ratings to 1 Star on Nursing Home Compare 

for reporting at least 7 total days with no reported RN time within a quarter. 

days without any A lower Staffing Star Rating may discourage consumers from choosing that 

RNs after CMS nursing home. The policy change impacted the Staffing Star Ratings in July 

announced it 2018.

would begin Following CMS’s announcement, fewer nursing homes reported at least 

7 days with no RN time—thus avoiding the Star rating downgrade (see 

downgrading Star Exhibit 3). 

Ratings on that Exhibit 3. The number of nursing homes reporting at least 7 total 

basis days within a quarter without any RNs decreased 27 percent over 

2018

27% Decrease

in the number of nursing 

homes reporting at least 

7 total days in a quarter 

without any RN time by 

the end of 2018

 NOTE: Of the 12,862 nursing homes in our analysis, 1,135 nursing homes reported at least 7 total days

with no RN time within any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 5 

OEI-04-18-00450 
Those nursing homes that did report at least 7 total days with no RN time

within a quarter most often reported this staffing level for only one quarter

(see Exhibit 4). That is, among the 1,135 unique nursing homes that 

reported at least 7 total days with no RN time within any quarter, 61 percent 

(697) did so for only 1 quarter. A small number of nursing homes continued 

to report at least 7 total days with no RN time within a quarter, despite the 

automatic downgrade to a 1-Star Staffing rating. In fact, just 71 of 12,862

nursing homes did so for all 4 quarters of 2018, indicating that followup with 

these specific nursing homes is warranted. 

Exhibit 4. Of the nursing homes that reported at least 7 total days 

without any RNs, most did so for only one quarter in 2018 

71 nursing homes 

reported at least 7 total 

days with no RN time for

all 4 quarters in 2018

N = 1,135 nursing homes 

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

As 2018 progressed, 7 percent more nursing homes reported days with 

some RN time, even though the reported time was less than the required 

8 hours per day (see Exhibit 5). Nursing homes reporting days with some 

RN time, but less than 8 hours, avoid CMS’s automatic downgrade to their 

star ratings but may still be falling short of meeting staffing requirements. 

See Appendix D for more information on trends in the number of nursing 

homes reporting days when RN time was below the required Federal levels. 

Exhibit 5. Seven percent more nursing homes reported days with at 

least some RN time, thus avoiding a Staffing Star downgrade

NOTE: Of the 12,862 nursing homes in our analysis, 4,444 reported days with some RN time, but in 

7% Increase

in number of nursing 

homes reporting 

days with some RN 

time but less than 8 

hours of RN services 

by the end of 2018 

amounts still below required levels within any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 6 

OEI-04-18-00450 
CMS’s Star Ratings 

are based on 

quarterly averages, 

which do not 

convey the extent 

to which staffing

varies day to day

Some nursing homes’ reported staffing levels varied considerably from day

to day, while others’ staffing levels were more consistent. CMS averages 

reported daily staffing to calculate nursing homes’ quarterly RN and TN 

Staffing Star Ratings for Nursing Home Compare. CMS staff explained that 

the rating system is intended to reflect the general level of quality and care 

that a facility provides and uses aggregated measures for staffing (and for 

other quality measures) to do so. However, presenting only the quarterly 

averages on Nursing Home Compare does not enable consumers to see

and consider differences in daily staffing levels when choosing a nursing 

home. 

How CMS Determines RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings 

on Nursing Home Compare

To determine each nursing home’s RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings, CMS 

establishes thresholds of nurse time per resident for each star rating. CMS 

then compares each nursing home’s average quarterly RN and TN staffing 

levels to these staffing level thresholds.29 Nursing homes with lower 

Staffing Star Ratings report less staff time than nursing homes with higher 

Staffing Star Ratings. Exhibit 6 below lists the minutes associated with 

1-Star and 5-Star RN and TN staffing thresholds for the fourth quarter (Q4) 

of 2018.

Exhibit 6. CMS’s Star Rating Thresholds for RN and TN Staffing*

1 Star 5 Stars

Average RN Minutes Per Resident Per Day < 19 minutes ≥ 63 minutes

Average TN Minutes Per Resident Per Day < 186 minutes ≥ 264 minutes

*CMS began using these star rating thresholds in Q4 2018 and continued to assign Staffing Star

Ratings with these thresholds through 2019. CMS used different thresholds during Q1, Q2, and Q3

2018. For more information, see Appendix A.

Source: CMS. Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide: April 2019.

Nursing homes with a 1-Star RN Staffing Rating report an average of less 

than 19 minutes of RN care per resident per day. In contrast, nursing homes 

with 5-Star RN Staffing Ratings report over 63 minutes of RN care per 

resident per day. This means residents at a nursing home with a 5-Star RN 

Staffing Rating may be receiving an average of 44 additional minutes of RN 

care than residents at a nursing home with a 1-Star RN Staffing Rating. See 

Appendix A for additional information on the specific RN and TN staffing 

thresholds CMS used during 2018.

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 7 

OEI-04-18-00450 
Nursing homes’ daily staffing levels did not match their Staffing Star Ratings

for about half of the days in 2018 (see Exhibit 7). On average, nursing 

homes’ RN daily staffing levels were below their Staffing Star Ratings slightly 

more often than they were above, but TN daily staffing levels displayed the 

opposite pattern. See Appendix E for more information on how often 

nursing homes’ daily staffing levels did not match their RN and TN Staffing 

Star Ratings on Nursing Home Compare. 

Exhibit 7. Nursing homes’ daily staffing levels often did not match

their Staffing Star Ratings 

RN TN 

This analysis includes only the subpopulation of

were not downgraded to a 1-Star RN or Overall

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Rati

Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

ngs 

Even when they have the same Staffing Star Ratings, nursing homes’ daily 

staffing levels can vary widely from one another. For example, on average 

in 2018, nursing homes with 5-Star RN Staffing Ratings reported staffing 

that corresponded to 5-Star staffing levels for 76 percent of days (see 

Exhibit 8). However, the top 20 percent of these nursing homes reported 

staffing at 5-Star levels almost every day. In contrast, the bottom 20 

percent of these nursing homes reported staffing below 5-Star levels for a 

little less than half of the days (42 percent), including some days at the 1-

Star level. Using Nursing Home Compare, consumers have no way to tell 

which nursing homes consistently provide staffing levels that match their 

Staffing Star Ratings and which ones substantially fluctuate from day to day. 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 8 

OEI-04-18-00450 
Exhibit 8. Nursing homes with 5-Star Staffing Ratings have 

substantially different patterns of daily staffing

Nursing Homes With 5-Star RN Staffing Ratings

This analysis is from a subpopulation of the 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings 

were not downgraded to a 1-Star RN or Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

Nursing homes with RN Staffing Star Ratings below 5 Stars also had wide 

daily variability. For example, see Exhibit 9 below for information about the 

daily variability among the nursing homes with 4-Star RN Staffing Ratings. 

Additionally, see Appendix F for day-to-day differences in staffing for each 

of the RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings. 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 9 

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S

O

Exhibit 9. Nursing homes with 4-Star Staffing Ratings have 

substantially different patterns of daily staffing

Nursing Homes With 4-Star RN Staffing Ratings

The analysis is from a subpopulation of the 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings 

were not downgraded to a 1-Star RN or Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

e Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 10

-04-18-00450 

om

EI
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CMS has identified nurse staffing as a vital component of a nursing home’s ability to provide quality care. 

Nursing staff are responsible for delivering care, ensuring residents’ care plans are followed, and providing 

most of the day-to-day care for residents. This review, initiated before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, 

focuses on staffing data from 2018. However, the 2020 pandemic reinforces the importance of sufficient 

staffing for nursing homes, as inadequate staffing can make it more difficult for nursing homes to respond 

to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19. Our analysis raises concerns about the reported daily 

staffing levels for some nursing homes and about how well the Staffing Star Ratings on the Nursing Home 

Compare website, which uses quarterly averages only, convey enough information to consumers about 

nursing home staffing.

Federal requirements state that nursing homes must have an RN on staff for at least 8 consecutive hours 

each day and a licensed nurse on staff around the clock. However, 7 percent of nursing homes reported 

30 or more total days in 2018 with nurse staffing below required Federal levels. An additional 7 percent of 

nursing homes reported between 16 and 29 days with nurse staffing below required levels. Further, 

among all nursing homes, 65 percent of the days with reported staffing below required RN or licensed 

nurse levels occurred on weekends. This raises concerns that some of these nursing homes may not have 

fully met their residents’ needs in 2018. 

To incentivize nursing homes to staff RNs every day, CMS announced in April 2018 that it would 

automatically downgrade a nursing home’s Staffing Star Rating to 1 Star if it reported having no RN time 

for at least 7 total days within a quarter. Following CMS’s announcement, 27 percent fewer nursing homes 

reported days with no RN time. At the same time, 7 percent more nursing homes reported days with 

some RN time, although less than the required 8 hours per day. These trends suggest overall 

improvements in staffing levels. However, the nursing homes reporting days with greater than zero hours 

but less than the required eight hours of RN time appear to be falling short of meeting staffing 

requirements in ways that this penalty does not address. 

Finally, we found that individual nursing homes’ reported daily staffing levels did not consistently match 

their Staffing Star Ratings, which are based on quarterly averages. As CMS staff noted, the current Staffing 

Star Rating is not intended to reflect daily fluctuations in staffing. However, given that some nursing 

homes have considerable variation in their daily staffing levels, while other nursing homes’ staffing is more 

consistent from day to day, this additional information could be useful to consumers. Nursing homes 

reporting day-to-day staffing levels that are substantially different from their current star rating may not be 

providing consistent care. Providing consumers with information based only on quarterly averages does 

not enable them to identify and consider the extent of these daily staffing differences when choosing a 

nursing home. 

We recommend that CMS:

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 11 

OEI-04-18-00450 
Enhance efforts to ensure nursing homes meet daily staffing requirements 

CMS has taken steps to ensure that more nursing homes meet staffing requirements and should further 

enhance such efforts. As discussed in our findings, CMS’s policy to downgrade Star Ratings for 7 or more 

days per quarter with no RN time resulted in a reduction in nursing homes reporting days with no RN time. 

Further, in 2019, CMS began using PBJ data to identify nursing homes that appeared to be understaffed on 

weekends. CMS provides lists of these nursing homes to State survey agencies for potential followup. The 

agency should build upon these efforts and further expand its use of PBJ data to ensure that more nursing 

homes meet staffing requirements on a consistent, day-to-day basis. For example, CMS could analyze PBJ 

data in ways similar to the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG’s) analysis for this report to determine which 

nursing homes appear to be falling short of daily requirements, and then target these nursing homes for 

further oversight. OIG will provide CMS with the list of the 943 nursing homes that reported staffing levels 

that did not meet CMS requirements on at least 30 days in 2018 so that CMS can review and follow up as 

appropriate. 

Explore ways to provide consumers with additional information on nursing homes’ daily staffing 

levels and variability 

Information about daily staffing levels and variability could be useful to consumers when making care 

decisions, in addition to the information CMS currently provides on average staffing levels. Without this 

information, consumers have no way to tell that some nursing homes have considerable variation in their 

daily staffing levels while other nursing homes’ staffing is more consistent from day to day. CMS staff has 

raised concerns about whether adding this type of information might create confusion for consumers. We 

recognize that avoiding consumer confusion is important. Therefore, we are recommending that CMS 

explore ways to provide this type of information in clear, consumer-friendly ways. For example, CMS could 

explore ways to show the frequency with which each nursing home reported staffing below required daily 

Federal levels during a given quarter or how nursing homes’ weekend staffing compares to that of other 

nursing homes with the same Staffing Star Rating. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 12

OEI-04-18-00450 
AGENCY COMMENTS AND OIG RESPONSE

CMS did not explicitly agree or disagree with our recommendation to enhance efforts to ensure nursing 

homes meet daily staffing requirements. Instead, CMS stated that it is working to ensure nursing homes 

meet daily staffing requirements. CMS also stated that it will continue to analyze nursing home staffing 

and enhance its efforts accordingly. OIG appreciates the efforts CMS has taken to ensure nursing homes 

meet daily staffing requirements. OIG encourages CMS to continue to build upon these efforts and further 

expand its use of PBJ data to ensure that more nursing homes meet staffing requirements on a consistent, 

day-to-day basis. We ask that CMS specify in its Final Management Decision how it is enhancing, or plans 

to enhance, these efforts. 

CMS did not explicitly agree or disagree with our recommendation to explore ways to provide consumers 

with additional information on nursing homes’ daily staffing levels and variability. Instead, CMS stated that 

it regularly reviews and analyzes how to present information in clear, consumer-friendly ways on its 

websites and in publications. CMS stated that it will continue to explore ways to provide nursing homes’ 

daily staffing levels and variability in clear, consumer-friendly ways. OIG appreciates the efforts CMS has 

taken and encourages CMS to provide consumers with information on nursing homes’ daily staffing 

variability in addition to the information CMS currently provides on average staffing levels. Consumers 

may benefit from having more information about daily staffing variability when making care decisions, and 

including this information on Nursing Home Compare may further incentivize nursing homes to provide 

consistent daily staffing for nursing home residents. We ask that CMS specify in its Final Management 

Decision how it is providing or plans to provide consumers with additional information about staffing 

levels and variability. 

For the full text of CMS’s comments, see Appendix G.

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DETAILED METHODOLOGY

We based this study on an analysis of nursing homes’ staffing data (the PBJ) from calendar year 2018, as 

reported to CMS. PBJ data contains employee-level, daily payroll records of hours that nursing home staff 

worked, and the data are submitted at the end of each quarter.

30 See Exhibit 10 for specific information on 

the start and end dates for each quarter in our review. 

Exhibit 10. 2018 PBJ Data Reporting Periods, Data Submission Due Dates, and Dates PBJ Data 

Were Posted on Nursing Home Compare 

Calendar

Quarter

Reporting Period 

Start Date

Reporting Period 

End Date

Reporting Period 

Due Date

Information Posted on 

Nursing Home Compare

Q1 January 1 March 31 May 15 Q3 2018

Q2 April 1 June 30 August 14 Q4 2018

Q3 July 1 September 30 November 14 Q1 2019

Q4 October 1 December 31 February 14, 2019 Q2 2019

Source: OIG analysis of CMS data, 2019.

We also analyzed companion datasets from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) that CMS uses as it calculates 

staffing measures on Nursing Home Compare. These datasets include the census information and casemix census information of daily residents at each nursing home. The MDS contains federally mandated 

clinical assessments of the needs of all residents in Medicare-certified and/or Medicaid-certified nursing 

homes. Residents with similar needs are grouped into 1 of 66 unique Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs).31 

The daily resident census is the daily sum of residents who received MDS assessments at each nursing 

home.32 The case-mix census is the daily sum of residents in each RUG.33 

We also analyzed descriptive information about nursing homes from Certification and Survey Enhanced 

Provider Reporting (CASPER) data. CASPER data includes descriptive information about nursing homes, 

such as Medicare and Medicaid participation and termination dates; ownership status; chain membership; 

and the number of beds in each home. 

Nursing Homes Included in Our Review 

We included in our review nursing homes that (1) participated in Medicare and/or Medicaid for all four

quarters of 2018, (2) had a non-zero case-mix census for each day of 2018, (3) did not have their data 

excluded from being publicly reported because of potential unreliability, and (4) submitted all staffing 

information to the PBJ by CMS deadlines for each day of 2018.

34, 35, 36 We used this subpopulation of 

nursing homes for our analysis on Federal requirements and trends in RN staffing levels after CMS’s policy 

change. We then limited this population to only those nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were 

not downgraded to 1 Star in any quarter to compare nursing homes’ daily staffing levels to their quarterly 

RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings.37 See Exhibit 11 for additional information on the number of nursing 

homes in our analysis. 

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Exhibit 11: Number of Nursing Homes Included in Our Review

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 CASPER, PBJ, and MDS data, 2019.

Determining Reported Staffing Levels That Fell Below Federal Requirements

We determined how frequently the 12,862 nursing homes in our review reported daily staffing levels below 

required Federal levels for RN and licensed nurse staff. 

Using CMS’s methods from the Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide, for every nursing home, 

we identified all RN and licensed nurse hours on each day of 2018. Then, we summed all RN hours and all 

licensed nurse hours for each nursing home on each day of 2018.

38

We identified days when nursing homes reported less RN hours than Federal requirements stipulate (8 RN 

hours each day). We determined whether nursing homes reported at least 7.5 hours of RN services every 

day (CMS guidance indicates that an 8-hour RN shift should include a 0.5-hour meal break, and that 

nursing homes should not include the meal break in hours reported to the PBJ). We categorized days 

when nursing homes staffed at least 7.5 RN hours as meeting this Federal requirement. Additionally, we 

identified days without any reported hours for RNs. 

We also identified days when nursing homes reported less licensed nurse staff than Federal requirements 

stipulate (around-the-clock licensed nurse staff). Because staffing data are not timestamped, PBJ data 

cannot indicate whether nursing homes actually provide licensed nurse services around the clock. 

Therefore, we determined whether nursing homes reported at least 22.5 hours of licensed nurse services 

every day (CMS guidance indicates that an 8-hour licensed nurse shift should include a 0.5-hour meal 

break, and that nursing homes should not include the meal break in hours reported to the PBJ). We 

categorized days when nursing homes staffed at least 22.5 licensed nurse hours as meeting this Federal 

requirement. 

We did not assess the sufficiency of nurse staffing levels to meet residents’ needs because CMS does not

use the number of reported staff hours per resident (i.e., hours per resident per day, or HPRD) to define 

the sufficiency of nurse staffing levels. When State survey agencies inspect nursing homes, they determine 

whether nursing homes have sufficient staff to provide the care and services residents need.39 

Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 15

OEI-04-18-00450 
Additionally, we identified the day of the week on which these days fell. For each day of the week, we 

summed the number of days when nursing homes reported fewer than 8 RN hours and/or fewer than 24 

hours for licensed nurse staff. We compared these rates for each day of the week.

Finally, for each nursing home, we determined the number of days that nursing homes reported fewer 

than 8 RN hours and/or fewer than 24 hours of licensed nurse staff. We identified nursing homes that did 

so for more than 30 total days in 2018, for between 16 and 29 total days in 2018, and for between 1 and 

15 total days in 2018. 

Waivers From Nurse Staffing Requirements. Nursing homes may request staffing requirement waivers that 

allow them to (1) have an RN on duty for less than 8 consecutive hours every day and/or (2) provide 

licensed nurses for less than around the clock. Of the 12,862 nursing homes’ PBJ data we analyzed, 2 had 

RN waivers and 8 had 24-hour waivers. We did not exclude these nursing homes from our analysis of the 

frequency that nursing homes reported days with staffing below required levels. 

Determining Trends in Registered Nurse Staffing Levels After the Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services’ Policy Change 

For each quarter in 2018, we determined how frequently the 12,862 nursing homes in our analysis reported 

days without any RNs. Our analysis focused on identifying the effects on reported staffing levels in the PBJ 

of CMS’s announcement that it would automatically downgrade nursing homes’ Staffing Star Ratings for 

reporting at least 7 days without any RN time. We identified nursing homes that reported at least 7 total 

days per quarter without any RN time and the number of quarters that these nursing homes did so. 

Finally, to determine whether more nursing homes might shift from reporting days without any RN time to 

reporting days with some RN time (but still less than the required Federal levels), we identified the number 

of nursing homes reporting at least 1 day without any RN hours for each quarter and with more than 0 but 

less than 7.5 RN hours for each quarter. We reported the percentage change from Q1 2018 to Q4 2018.

Determining When Nursing Homes’ Daily Staffing Levels Did Not Match Their Quarterly Staffing 

Star Ratings

To determine how often nursing homes’ daily staffing levels did not match their quarterly Staffing Star 

Ratings, we analyzed the 11,373 nursing homes (1) that reported staffing information each day of 2018; 

(2) had RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings; and (3) whose Staffing Star Ratings were not downgraded in any 

quarter in 2018.40 Nursing homes might not have a star rating, for example, because a facility is too new 

to have received two standard surveys from State survey agencies.41 We removed nursing homes with 

downgraded RN and/or Overall Staffing Star Ratings from this analysis because their Staffing Star Ratings 

may not reflect their actual staffing levels. 

For each nursing home, we modified CMS’s methods for calculating quarterly star ratings so that we could 

identify a star rating that would correspond to daily staffing levels for each nursing home with an RN or TN 

Staffing Star Rating. See Appendix A for more information on CMS’s methods for calculating quarterly RN 

and TN star ratings. 

We then compared the quarterly Staffing Star Ratings for each nursing home with the measure of its daily 

staffing for each day in 2018. We determined the number of days that nursing homes’ daily RN and TN 

staffing levels did not match that which was indicated by their quarterly Staffing Star Ratings.

42 Our 

analysis takes into consideration varying Staffing Star Ratings per quarter. 

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Determining When Nursing Homes’ Daily Staffing Levels Were Substantially Different From Their Quarterly 

Staffing Star Ratings. To determine the extent to which daily staffing levels at nursing homes with the 

same RN or TN Staffing Star Ratings varied on a daily basis, we compared quarterly staffing patterns at 

nursing homes with the same CMS-assigned quarterly RN or TN Staffing Star Ratings. For nursing homes 

with ratings of 5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars, we determined the number of days in 2018 that their 

daily RN and TN staffing levels were lower than that indicated by their respective quarterly Staffing Star 

Ratings. For nursing homes with 1-Star quarterly Staffing Star Ratings, we determined the portion of days 

that daily RN and TN staffing levels corresponded to 1-Star RN and TN levels. For example, two nursing 

homes could have a 5-Star RN Staffing Rating for Q1 in 2018, but one of them might staff RNs at a level 

corresponding to a 5-Star Rating every day in Q1, while the other nursing home does so only 60 percent of 

the time. Within each RN and TN Staffing Star Rating, we grouped nursing homes into five groups (i.e., 

quintiles) based on the percentage of days that were either above or below their quarterly Staffing Star 

Rating. 

Analysis of Local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Surveys

To discuss residents’ experiences, we surveyed 20 purposively selected Local LTCOs in 2019. We obtained

their perspectives on the ways the staffing fluctuations of daily nurses may affect residents in the nursing 

homes the Local LTCOs are responsible for monitoring. We selected Local LTCOs responsible for 

monitoring nursing homes of assorted sizes, with various reported staffing levels, and that were in different 

parts of the United States. All 20 Local LTCOs responded to our request. We reviewed their responses 

and reported staffing issues that pertained to our analysis in the report. See Exhibit 12 for the locations of 

the Local LTCOs we selected for our survey.

Exhibit 12. Locations and Numbers of Local LTCOs Surveyed 

States Number of Local LTCOs 

Texas 7

California 3

Missouri 3

Illinois 2

Louisiana 2

Arkansas 1

Indiana 1

Virginia 1

Total 20 

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

Limitations

This analysis is based on staffing data that nursing homes submitted to the PBJ. We did not review the 

adequacy of nursing homes’ underlying payroll information to support reported staffing levels. 

We also make no determination of compliance with Federal RN staffing requirements because PBJ data do 

not include unpaid hours salaried nurses may work. Therefore, actual hours that RNs or licensed nurses 

actually worked at nursing homes in 2018 may be higher than our analysis reflects. Additionally, PBJ data 

are not timestamped; therefore, PBJ data cannot indicate whether nursing homes actually provide licensed 

nurse services around the clock, as required. 

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OEI-04-18-00450 

We did not independently verify Local LTCO responses to our survey. 

We did not assess the consistency of MDS assessment across nursing homes (i.e., whether nursing homes

assessed residents’ needs in comparable ways), and we did not assess the adequacy of the values in CMS’s 

Staff Time and Resource Intensity Verification (STRIVE) Project to address residents’ needs.43 

Standards

We conducted this study in accordance with the Quality Standards for Inspection and Evaluation issued by 

the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency.
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OEI-04-18-00450 

APPENDIX A: STAFFING STAR RATINGS ON 

NURSING HOME COMPARE

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Calculations of the Registered Nurse and Total Nurse

Staffing Star Ratings 

For each quarter, CMS awards each nursing home two separate star ratings for staffing: one for RN staffing 

and another for TN staffing.44 These staffing measures depend upon the following data sources submitted 

each quarter through the PBJ System (CMS’s system for collecting PBJ data): 

• PBJ data; 

• resident census information derived from MDS assessments (the sum of residents that received 

MDS assessments at each nursing home)45; and 

• case-mix census information derived from MDS assessm

 

ents (the sum of residents as grouped 

within 66 unique RUGs, Version IV (RUG-IV group)).46

To determine each nursing home’s RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings, CMS takes into account the number 

of RN and TN staff hours reported; the number of residents; and a measure of the severity of residents’ 

health problems as determined by their RUG classification.

47 CMS aggregates nurse staffing hours 

reported through the PBJ and resident census information in the MDS to calculate a ratio of staff hours to 

the number of patients at the nursing home on an average day. CMS calls this RN or TN hours per 

resident day (HPRD). CMS determines each nursing home’s quarterly RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings by

using the equation listed below.

48 

� �

HHHHHHHHHH RRRRRRHHHHRRRRRR

HHHHHHHHHH CCCCHHRR-MMMMMM � × HHHHHHHHHH NNCCRRMMHHNNCCNN AAAARRHHCCAARR � = HHHHHHHHHH AARRAAHHHHRRRRRR

• Hours Reported: This is the sum of reported hours throughout the quarter (from the PBJ) divided by 

the sum of residents throughout the quarter (from the resident census). 

• Hours Case-Mix: This is a daily estimate of the nurse staff time that CMS expects each nursing home to 

provide based on the severity of residents’ health care needs divided by the number of residents at 

each nursing home. CMS calculates this figure first by using the case-mix census to identify the 

number of residents at 

49

each nursing home within each RUG on each day of the quarter. Next, CMS 

multiplies the number of residents in each RUG-IV group by nursing time estimates from the STRIVE 

study. CMS then sums all nursing hours across all days and RUG-IV groups and divides that by the 

number of residents in the case-mix census. The daily estimates of RN, LPN, and Aide hours come 

from the STRIVE Project, and are included in Appendix A of CMS’s Nursing Home Compare Technical 

Users’ Guide—April 2019. 

• Hours National Average: This is the average of quarterly RN or TN Case-Mix hours across all nursing 

homes. CMS calculates this number and updates it every quarter, making it publicly available at 

Data.Medicare.gov. 
• Hours Adjusted: This is the unit of measure used to calculate Staffing Star Ratings. It is an estimated 

number of hours that nurses spend with each nursing home resident on each day, adjusted based on 

the needs of residents so that it can be compared across nursing homes. 

Scoring Rules for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Registered Nurse and Total Nurse

Staffing Star Ratings 

CMS assigns star ratings for both RN and TN staffing. CMS sets rating thresholds using a percentile-based 

method it developed that takes account of clinical evidence on the relationship between staffing and 

quality.50 Each star rating has a minimum and/or maximum threshold that determines the star assigned to 

each nursing home, depending on that nursing homes’ Hours Adjusted RN or TN HPRD (as calculated in 

the steps listed above). 

In April 2018, CMS updated the thresholds for RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings using the RUG-IV system.51 

This change impacted the RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings for PBJ data submitted for Q1, Q2, and Q3 of 

2018. CMS made further adjustments to RN and TN Staffing Star Rating thresholds in April 2019, impacting 

the PBJ data submitted for Q4 2018. See Exhibits A-1 and A-2 for the HPRD thresholds CMS used to assign 

star ratings for RN and TN staffing during 2018. 

Exhibit A-1. CMS’s National Star Rating Scoring Rules for RN and TN Staffing on Nursing

Home Compare for Q1, Q2, and Q3 2018

1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars

RN HPRD < 0.246 0.246–0.382 0.383–0.586 0.587–0.883 ≥ 0.884

RN Minutes < 15 

minutes 

15–23 minutes 23-35 minutes 35-53 minutes ≥53 minutes

TN HPRD < 3.176 3.176 – 3.551 3.552 – 4.009 4.010 – 4.237 ≥ 4.238

TN Minutes < 190 

minutes

190–213 minutes 213– 240 minutes 240–254 minutes

≥ 254 

minutes

Source: CMS. Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—July 2018.

Exhibit A-2. CMS’s National Star Rating Scoring Rules for RN and TN Staffing on Nursing 

Home Compare for Q4 2018

1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars

RN HPRD < 0.317 0.317–0.507 0.508–0.730 0.731–1.048 ≥ 1.049

RN Minutes < 19 

minutes 19–30 minutes 30-43 minutes 44-63 minutes ≥ 63 minutes

TN HPRD < 3.108 3.108 – 3.579 3.580 – 4.037 4.038 – 4.407 ≥ 4.408

TN Minutes < 186 

minutes 186 –215 minutes 215 – 242 minutes 242 – 264 minutes ≥ 264 minutes

Source: CMS. Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Calculations of Overall Staffing Star Ratings

To calculate nursing homes’ Overall Staffing Star Ratings, CMS averages the RN and TN Staffing Star 

Ratings. For instance, if a nursing home has a 3-Star RN Staffing Rating and a 5-Star TN Staffing Rating, 

the overall star rating would average to a 4-Star Overall Staffing Rating. However, when the average of RN 

and TN Staffing Ratings is between star ratings, the Overall Staffing Rating is weighted toward the RN star 

rating. For example, if a nursing home earns a 5-Star RN Staffing Rating and a 4-Star TN Staffing Rating, 

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S

O

the average would be 4.5. This is rounded toward the RN Staffing Star Rating value (i.e., 5 Stars); as a 

result, the nursing home would receive a 5-Star Overall Staffing Rating. 

It is important to note that CMS reports only the Overall Staffing Star Rating and the RN Staffing Star 

Rating on Nursing Home Compare.52 The TN Staffing Star Rating is not reported on Nursing Home 

Compare, despite being used in Overall Staffing Star Rating calculations. 

Exceptions to Staffing Star Rating Scoring Rules 

The following are exceptions to the Staffing Star Rating scoring rules described above: 

• Nursing homes that fail to submit any staffing data by the required deadline will receive a 1-Star

rating for the Overall and RN Staffing Star Ratings for the quarter. 53

• CMS assigns 1-Star quarterly Overall and RN Staffing Star Ratings to nursing homes whose PBJ 

data indicate days within a quarter with no RN time, despite having one or more residents in the 

nursing home. From Q1 through Q3 2018, CMS applied this scoring rule when nursing homes 

reported 7 or mor

54

e days with no RN time. For Q4 2018, CMS reduced the number of days to 4 or 

more days with no RN time.

56, 57 

• Nursing homes will receive a 1-Star rating for

55

 Overall staffing and RN staffing for 3 months if they 

either (1) fail to respond to CMS audits of PBJ data; or (2) have audits of PBJ data that identify 

significant discrepancies between the staff hours reported and the staff hours verified.

58 The 

3 months begin when the deadline to respond to CMS’s audit requests passes or audit 

discrepancies are identified.

 

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APPENDIX B: NURSING HOMES REPORTING 

STAFFING BELOW REQUIRED LEVELS

Exhibit B-1. Descriptive Statistics of All Nursing Homes, Nursing Homes Reporting 1 to 29 Days With Staffing Below 

Required Levels, and Nursing Homes With at Least 30 Days With Staffing Below Required Levels 

All 

Nursing Homes

Nursing Homes 

With 1–15 

Total Days With 

Staffing Below 

Required Levels

Nursing Homes 

With 16–29 

Total Days With 

Staffing Below 

Required Levels

Nursing Homes 

With at Least 30 

Total Days With 

Staffing Below 

Required Levels

Total N = 12,862 N = 5,127 N = 900 N = 943

Nursing Homes Mean 7 days 5 days 19 days 58 days

Reporting Days Without 

an RN on Staff for at 

Least 8 Hours

Median 1 day 3 days 19 days 45 days 

Range 357 days 15 days 29 days 357 days

Nursing Homes Mean 2 days 1 day 3 days 15 days 

Reporting Days Without 

Licensed Nursing 

Median 0 days 0 days 0 days 1 day

Services for at Least 24 Range 315 days 15 days 29 days 315 days

Hours

12,862 nursing homes

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

Exhibit 

Levels

B-2. Number of Nursing Homes Reporting Staffing Below Required Levels by Type Staffing Below Required 

Number Percentage

Nursing Homes Reporting At Least 30 Total Days With Staffing Below Required Levels 943 7%

Nursing homes with at least 30 total days without an RN on staff for 8 hours 817 6% 

Nursing homes with at least 30 total days without licensed nurse services for at least 24 hours 153 1% 

Nursing homes with at least 30 total days where days without an RN on staff for 8 hours and days without 

licensed nurse services for at least 24 hours occurred on the same day 74 <1% 

Nursing Homes Reporting Between 16–29 Days With Staffing Below Required Levels 900 7%

Nursing homes with 16–29 days without an RN on staff for 8 hours 762 6% 

Nursing homes with 16–29 days without licensed nurse services for at least 24 hours 82 1% 

Nursing homes with 16–29 days where days without an RN on staff for 8 hours and days without 

licensed nurse services for at least 24 hours occurred on the same day 10 <1% 

Nursing Homes Reporting Between 1–15 Days With Staffing Below Required Levels 5,127 40%

Nursing homes with 1–15 days without an RN on staff for 8 hours 4,927 38% 

Nursing homes with 1–15 days without licensed nurse services for at least 24 hours 1,028 8% 

Nursing homes with 1–15 days where days without an RN on staff for 8 hours and days without 

licensed nurse services for at least 24 hours occurred on the same day 565 4% 

Nursing Homes Reporting Staffing At or Above Required Levels 5,892 46%

TOTAL 12,862 100%

12,862 nursing homes

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

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APPENDIX C: CHARACTERISTICS OF 

NURSING HOMES REPORTING STAFFING

BELOW REQUIRED LEVELS 

Nursing Home Characteristics All Nursing Homes Nursing Homes With At Least 1 Day With 

Staffing Below Required Levels

1–15 Days With 

Staffing Below 

Required Levels

16–29 Days With 

Staffing Below 

Required Levels

30+ Days With 

Staffing Below 

Required Levels

12,862 5,127 900 943

(n) % (n) % (n) % (n) %

Size

<50 Beds 1,599 12.43% 747 14.57% 195 21.67% 248 26.30% 

51-100 Beds 4,932 38.35% 2,264 44.16% 400 44.44% 454 48.14%

101-150 Beds 4,260 33.12% 1,644 32.07% 247 27.44% 195 20.68%

151-200 Beds 1,388 10.79% 368 7.18% 51 5.67% 38 4.03%

>200 Beds 683 5.31% 104 2.03% 7 0.78% 8 0.85%

Urban / Rural 

Status

Urban 9,218 71.67% 3,374 65.81% 553 61.44% 559 59.28%

Rural 3,644 28.33% 1,753 34.19% 347 38.56% 384 40.72%

Family Group 

Status*

Family Group 2,713 21.09% 960 18.72% 139 15.44% 139 14.74%

No Family Group 10,149 78.91% 4,167 81.28% 761 84.56% 804 85.26%

Type

For-Profit 9,073 70.54% 3,724 72.64% 687 76.33% 720 76.35% 

Nonprofit 2,990 23.25% 1,104 21.53% 151 16.78% 127 13.47%

Government 799 6.21% 299 5.83% 62 6.89% 96 10.18%

Medicare / 

Medicaid Status

Medicare / Medicaid 12,153 94.49% 4,845 94.50% 857 95.22% 866 91.83%

Medicare-only 493 3.83% 178 3.47% 23 2.56% 32 3.39% 

Medicaid-only 216 1.68% 104 2.03% 20 2.22% 45 4.77%

Chain Status

Chain 7,843 60.98% 3,259 63.57% 587 65.22% 546 57.90%

Individual 5,019 39.02% 1,868 36.43% 313 34.78% 397 42.10%

Free-Standing or 

Hospital-Based

Free-Standing 12,408 96.47% 4,964 96.82% 882 98.00% 899 95.33%

Hospital-Based 454 3.53% 163 3.18% 18 2.00% 44 4.67% 

Resident Group 

Status*

Resident Group 12,422 96.58% 4,974 97.02% 866 96.22% 918 97.35%

No Resident Group 440 3.42% 153 2.98% 34 3.78% 25 2.65%

Staffing Waiver 

Status**

RN Waiver 2 0.02% 1 0.02% 0 0.00% 1 0.11%

No RN Waiver 12,860 99.98% 5,126 99.98% 900 100.00% 942 99.89% 

24-Hour Licensed 

Nurse Waiver 8 0.06% 4 0.08% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 

No 24-Hour Licensed 

Nurse Waiver 12,854 99.94% 5,123 99.92% 900 100.00% 943 100.00% 

12,862 nursing homes. Percentages may not equal to 100.00 percent due to rounding. 

*NOTE: Family groups and/or resident groups meet to discuss issues and concerns about the nursing home’s policies and operations and work to ensure 

nursing home residents receive good-quality care.59 

**NOTE: Nursing homes may request waivers from the staffing requirements that allow them to (1) provide less than 24 hours of licensed nursing services 

and/or (2) have an RN on duty for less than 8 consecutive hours every day.60, 61

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 CASPER and PBJ data, 2019.

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APPENDIX D: FREQUENCY OF NURSING 

HOMES REPORTING REGISTERED NURSE

STAFFING BELOW REQUIRED LEVELS AFTER 

CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID 

SERVICES’ POLICY CHANGE 

Exhibit D-1. Nursing homes reporting some RN time—but still less than 8 hours—increased by 

7 percent after CMS’s announced policy change. At the same time, nursing homes reporting 

days without any RN time decreased by 15 percent. 

NOTE: Of the 12,862 nursing homes in our analysis, 4,736 reported days with no RN time within any quarter of 2018. Additionally, 4,444 of the 

12,683 nursing homes reported days with some RN time, but in amounts still below required levels within any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

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e Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 25 

-04-18-00450 

This analysis includes only the subpopulation of 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were not downgraded 

to a 1-Star RN or Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

This analysis includes only the subpopulation of 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were not downgraded 

to a 1-Star RN or Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

APPENDIX E: QUARTERLY AVERAGE 

PERCENTAGE OF DAYS WHEN DAILY NURSE 

STAFFING DID NOT MATCH STAR RATINGS 
APPENDIX F: DAY-TO-DAY DIFFERENCES IN 

NURSING HOMES’ STAFFING LEVELS

Exhibit F-1. There are considerable day-to-day differences in staffing levels among nursing 

homes that have the same RN Staffing Star Rating in Nursing Home Compare.

This analysis includes only the subpopulation of 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were not downgraded to a 1-Star RN or 

Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018. 

NOTE: The groups of nursing homes are ranked based on the percentage of days that staffing levels were either above or below their quarterly 

RN Staffing Star Rating.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

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his analysis includes only the subpopulation of 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were not downgraded to a 1-Star RN or 

verall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

OTE: The groups of nursing homes are ranked based on the percentage of days that staffing levels were either above or below their quarterly 

N Staffing Star Rating.

ource: OIG analysis of 2018 PBJ data, 2019.

xhibit F-2. There are considerable day-to-day differences in staffing levels among nursing 

omes that have the same TN Staffing Star Rating in Nursing Home Compare. 

O

T

O

N

T

S

E

h
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OEI-04-18-00450 

Exhibit F-3. Average Number of Nursing Homes by RN Staffing Star Rating on Nursing Home Compare 

and Number of Days Staffing Levels Corresponded to 1-Star RN Levels in 2018 

1-Star Nursing 

Homes 

2-Star Nursing 

Homes 

3-Star Nursing 

Homes 

4-Star Nursing 

Homes 

5-Star Nursing 

Homes 

0 Days 0 7 233 1,239 2,034

1–6 Days 0 50 858 1,329 433

7+ Days 789 1,789 2,034 542 36

This analysis includes only the subpopulation of 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were not downgraded to a 1-Star RN or 

Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 Nursing Home Compare and PBJ data, 2019.

Exhibit F-4. Average Number of Nursing Homes by TN Staffing Star Rating on Nursing Home Compare 

and Number of Days Staffing Levels Corresponded to 1-Star TN Levels in 2018 

1-Star Nursing 

Homes 

2-Star Nursing 

Homes 

3-Star Nursing 

Homes 

4-Star Nursing 

Homes 

5-Star Nursing 

Homes 

0 Days 0 8 500 709 2,191

1–6 Days 0 42 992 502 444

7+ Days 1,757 2,503 1,569 117 39

This analysis includes only the subpopulation of 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were not downgraded to a 1-Star RN or 

Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018.

Source: OIG analysis of 2018 Nursing Home Compare and PBJ data, 2019.
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OEI-04-18-00450 

APPENDIX G: AGENCY COMMENTS
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OEI-04-18-00450 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Victoria Coxon served as the lead analyst for this study. Others in the Office 

of Evaluation and Inspections who conducted the study include Lucio Verani 

and Brianna Weldon. Office of Evaluation and Inspections staff who 

provided support include Althea Hosein, Joe Chiarenzelli, and Christine 

Moritz. 

We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of other Office of 

Inspector General (OIG) staff, including Eddie Baker, Mandy Brooks, and 

Berivan Demir-Neubert. 

This report was prepared under the direction of Dwayne Grant, Regional 

Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections in the Atlanta regional 

office; Evan Godfrey, Deputy Regional Inspector General; and Jaime Stewart, 

Assistant Regional Inspector General.

To obtain additional information concerning this report or to obtain copies, contact the Office of Public 

Affairs at Public.Affairs@oig.hhs.gov.
Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 33 

OEI-04-18-00450 

ENDNOTES 

1 Kramer, A.M., and Fish, R., “The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing Levels and the Quality of Nursing Home Care,” 

in Appropriateness of Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios in Nursing Homes: Phase II Final Report, Abt Associates, Inc., 

Winter 2001. This study, also known as the CMS Staffing Study, found a clear association between nurse staffing and 

nursing home quality of care. CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, 

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on November 14, 2019.

2 Additionally, we use the term “nursing homes” to refer to both Medicare Skilled Nursing Facilities and Medicaid 

nursing facilities.

3 CMS, QSO-18-17-NH Memorandum, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO18-17-NH.pdf. Accessed on September 6, 2019.

4 Mathews, Anna Wilde, and Kamp, Jon, “Coronavirus Hits Nursing Homes Hard, as Staff Combat Infections, 

Shortages,” Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-hits-nursing-homes-hard-as-staff-combatinfections-shortages-11585250841?ns=prod/accounts-wsj. Accessed on April 7, 2020.

5 Kenan, Joanne; Roubein, Rachel, and Luthi, Susannah, “How Public Health Failed Nursing Homes,” Politico, 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/06/public-health-failed-nursing-homes-167372. Accessed on April 7, 2020. 6 CMS, “About Nursing Home Compare,” 

https://www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare/About/nhcinformation.html. Accessed on October 1, 2019. 

7 Ibid.

8 42 CFR §483.35. Nursing homes must also have sufficient hours of nurse services to meet residents’ needs to attain 

or maintain practical physical, mental, and psychological well-being for each resident. We did not assess the 

sufficiency of nurse staffing levels to meet residents’ needs because CMS does not use the number of reported staff 

hours per resident (i.e., Hours Per Resident per Day or HPRD) to define the sufficiency of nurse staffing levels. When 

State survey agencies inspect nursing homes, they determine whether nursing homes have sufficient staff to provide 

the care and services residents need. CMS, State Operations Manual—Appendix PP, 

https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_pp_guidelines_ltcf.pdf. 

Accessed on February 26, 2020. 

9 42 CFR § 483.35(a)(1)(i) and § 483.35(b). Out of the 12,862 nursing homes we analyzed, 2 had RN waivers and 8 had 

24-hour waivers.

10 Section 6106 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act instructed the Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) to require nursing homes to electronically submit this data as codified in 42 USC 1320a-7j(g) and 

implemented in 42 CFR 483.70(q). The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 provided 

funding for the creation of the PBJ. 

11 Direct care staff are those individuals who, through interpersonal contact with residents or resident care 

management, provide care and services to allow residents to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, 

mental, and psychosocial well-being. Direct care staff does not include individuals whose primary duty is maintaining 

the physical environment of the long-term care facility (for example, housekeeping). CMS, Electronic Staffing Data 

Submission Payroll-Based Journal: Long-Term Facility Policy Manual Version 2.5, 

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-AssessmentInstruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Downloads/PBJ-Policy-Manual-Final-V25-11-19-2018.pdf. Accessed on July 16, 

2019. 

12 Ibid. PBJ staffing data include both full-time and part-time nursing home employees and individuals under an 

agency or individual contract.

13 CMS, “About Nursing Home Compare,” 

https://www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare/About/nhcinformation.html. Accessed on October 17, 2019. CMS, 

Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollmentand-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on February 27, 2020. 
Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 34 

OEI-04-18-00450 

14 CMS Newsroom, CMS Improving Nursing Home Compare in April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/cms-improving-nursing-home-compare-april-2019. Accessed on September 13, 2019.

15 The other two areas that contribute to each nursing home’s Overall 5-Star Rating are: 

• Health Inspections: Ratings for the overall health inspection area, including the number, extent, and severity 

of deficiencies identified during the three most recent on-site state annual health inspections.

• Quality Measures: Ratings for the overall quality measure area are based on nursing homes’ performance on 

12 quality measures based on residents’ MDS assessments and 5 measures based on residents’ Medicare 

claims data. 

CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on February 27, 2020. 

16 The Staffing Rating considers differences in the levels of residents' care needs in each nursing home. For example, 

a nursing home with residents who have more health problems would be expected to have more nursing staff than a 

nursing home where the residents need less health care. CMS, “About Nursing Home Compare,” 

https://www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare/About/nhcinformation.html. Accessed on October 1, 2019. 

17 CMS, QSO-18-17-NH Memorandum, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO18-17-NH.pdf. Accessed on September 6, 2019.

18 Kramer, A.M., and Fish, R., “The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing Levels and the Quality of Nursing Home Care,” 

in Appropriateness of Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios in Nursing Homes: Phase II Final Report, Abt Associates, Inc., 

Winter 2001; Abt Associates, Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Rating System: Year Three Report, 

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/Downloads/FSQRS-Report.pdf. Accessed on September 13, 2019.

19 CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on September 26, 

2019. 

20 The RN and TN staffing hours per resident do not necessarily show the number of nursing staff present at any 

given time or reflect the amount of care given to any one resident. CMS, QSO-18-17-NH Memorandum, 

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO18-17-NH.pdf. Accessed on September 6, 2019.

21 CMS, QSO-18-17-NH Memorandum, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO18-17-NH.pdf. Accessed on September 6, 2019.

22 Ibid. Any nursing homes with an automatically downgraded Staffing Star Rating would also have their overall 

(composite) rating reduced by one star.

23 Additionally, in April 2019, CMS changed its automatic downgrade policy criterion from 7 days without any RN time 

to 4 days without any RN time. CMS, WSO-19-08-NH Memorandum, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO19-08-NH.pdf. Accessed on October 2, 

2019. 

24 Administration for Community, “Administration on Aging,” https://acl.gov/about-acl/administration-aging. 

Accessed on April 30, 2020. In 2012, the creation of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) consolidated the 

efforts of AoA, the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the HHS Office on Disability. 

AoA continues to administer the LTCOP. ACL, “About ACL, Mission & Strategic Plan,” https://acl.gov/about-acl. 

Accessed on April 30, 2020. 

25 Pub. L. 95-478: Comprehensive Older Americans Act Amendments (October 18, 1978).

26 Pub. L. 100-175: Older Americans Act Amendments of 1987 (November 29, 1987).

27 45 CFR Part 1324, Subpart A.

28 Administration for Community Living, “Long-Term Care Ombudsman FAQ,” https://acl.gov/programs/long-termcare-ombudsman/long-term-care-ombudsman-faq. Accessed on February 3, 2020.

29 CMS converts the reported nurse staffing hours into measures that indicate an average RN and TN hours per 

resident day (HPRD) throughout each quarter. CMS adjusts the staffing levels for differences in the acuity of 

residents at each nursing home. Each nursing home’s RN and TN Staffing Star Ratings are assigned based on how its 

RN and TN staffing levels compare to the distribution of RN and TN staffing levels for nursing homes in the Nation. 
Some Nursing Homes’ Reported Staffing Levels in 2018 Raise Concerns; Consumer Transparency Could Be Increased 35 

OEI-04-18-00450 

CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on October 18, 2019; 

CMS, QSO-18-17-NH Memorandum, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO18-17-NH.pdf. Accessed on October 25, 2019.

30 CMS, PBJ Public Use Files Data Documentation—Payroll-Based Journal Public Use Files: Technical Specifications—

April 2019, https://data.cms.gov/Special-Programs-Initiatives-Long-Term-Care-Facili/PBJ-Public-Use-Files-DataDocumentation/ygny-gzks. Accessed on November 22, 2019. 31 Residents’ needs are clinically assessed with MDS assessments that measure several aspects of residents’ needs (i.e., 

acuity), such as mental and physical functioning; pain; medical diagnoses and health conditions; and medication use. 

Residents with similar needs are grouped into 1 of 66 unique Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs), creating a mix of 

residents’ needs (case-mix) specific to each nursing home. CMS, Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment 

Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual, Version 1.17.1, October 2019, https://downloads.cms.gov/files/mds-3.0-rai-manualv1.17.1_october_2019.pdf. Accessed on February 20, 2020.

32 Only residents with MDS assessments that (1) occurred in the year prior to the quarter when the census will be 

calculated and (2) were not discharged or deceased are included in the daily resident census. CMS, Nursing Home 

Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on November 4, 2019.

33 Ibid. Residents at each nursing home included in CMS’s case-mix census are those who (1) have received MDS 

assessments in the year prior to the quarter when the case-mix census will be calculated; (2) have been assigned to a 

RUG based on their health needs; and (3) were not discharged or deceased.

34 CMS includes all nursing homes’ PBJ data in the PBJ Public Use File (PUF) if the nursing homes were participating in 

Medicare and/or Medicaid on the last day of the quarter. CMS excludes nursing homes from being included in the 

PBJ PUF for several reasons which indicate that the nursing homes’ PBJ data may be unreliable. These are (1) if 

average TN staffing within a quarter is less than 1.5 HPRD; (2) if average TN staffing within a quarter for both nurses 

and residents is greater than 12 HPRD; and (3) average Aide staffing within the quarter is greater than 5.25 HPRD. 

CMS, Payroll-Based Journal Public Use Files: Technical Specifications—April 2019. 35 Nursing homes may be excluded from the PBJ PUF for multiple quarters within a year for other reasons, including 

that the nursing home did not submit information on time, did not submit MDS Census data, or may be too new to 

submit staffing data, among others. CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, 

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on November 6, 2019. 

36 Nursing homes may be excluded from the PBJ PUF for multiple quarters within a year for other reasons, including 

that the nursing home did not submit information on time, did not submit MDS Census data, or may be too new to 

submit staffing data, among others. CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, 

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on November 6, 2019. We also 

removed two nursing homes that shared a unique identifier but submitted separate staffing information because 

including the staffing data for both nursing homes would have counted 

37 We used the Provider Information files available on Data.Medicare.gov to determine which nursing homes were not 

downgraded to a 1-Star RN or TN Staffing Rating in any quarter during our review period. The Provider Information 

files we used populated the information on Nursing Home Compare from July, October, and January 2018, and April 

2019. 

38 RN hours include hours from RNs, the RN director of nursing, and RNs with administrative duties. Licensed nurse 

hours include hours from LPNs/LVNs, LPNs/LVNs with administrative duties, and any type of RN hours listed in the 

prior sentence. CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on October 30, 2019. 

The full list of PBJ job codes is available in CMS’s Electronic Staffing Data Submission Payroll-Based Journal Long-Term 

Care Facility Policy Manual. This manual is accessible at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-PatientAssessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Downloads/PBJ-Policy-Manual-Final-V24.pdf. 
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39 CMS, State Operations Manual – Appendix PP, 430, https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_pp_guidelines_ltcf.pdf. Accessed on February 26, 2020.

40 This analysis includes only the subpopulation of 11,373 nursing homes whose Staffing Star Ratings were not 

downgraded to a 1-Star RN or Overall Staffing Star Rating in any quarter of 2018. 41 CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—July 2018, 21. 

42 This analysis reflected CMS’s changes to the Staffing Star Rating thresholds for Q4 2018. In addition, Nursing 

Home Compare does not post TN Staffing Star Ratings; therefore, we assigned each nursing home a quarterly TN 

Staffing Star Rating. To do so, we first, obtained the quarterly Adjusted TN HPRD for each nursing home for each 

quarter of 2018 from the Provider Information files available on www.data.cms.gov. We then assigned TN Staffing 

Star Ratings to each nursing home for each quarter using CMS’s Staffing Star Ratings thresholds, as appropriate. 

43 CMS funded a national staff time measurement study on nursing homes (i.e., the STRIVE Project) to update the 

RUG-III case-mix weights, which support the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System. The 

STRIVE Project’s primary objective was to use resident characteristics to explain the daily cost of care. A large part of 

daily care costs is nursing staff time. Residents with similar needs may require similar resources (i.e., amounts of 

nurse staff time); therefore, residents with similar needs were placed into RUGs. CMS counts the number of residents 

in each RUG to determine the daily case-mix census (i.e., RUG census). CMS, Staff Time and Resource Intensity 

Verification Project – Phase I Report, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-ServicePayment/SNFPPS/TimeStudy.html. Accessed on November 13, 2019.

44 These star ratings are based on CMS’s calculation of each nursing home’s quarterly average RN and TN Adjusted 

HPRD.

45 The daily sum of residents at each nursing home is determined by the number of residents with MDS assessments. 

CMS refers to this sum of residents as “the MDS Census.” CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 

2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on November 4, 2019.

46 Nursing home residents are placed into RUGs using the RUG-IV classification system. Based on residents’ resource 

needs, the RUG-IV classification is divided into eight major categories: rehabilitation plus extensive; rehabilitation; 

extensive services; special care high; special care low; clinically complex; behavioral symptoms and cognitive 

performance; and reduced physical functioning. Residents’ needs are further differentiated between and within the 

eight major categories. The RUG-IV system replaced the RUG, Version III (RUG-III) system for Medicare starting on 

October 1, 2010. CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, 

https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on November 13, 2019.

47 A nursing home with residents who have more severe health problems would be expected to have more nursing 

staff than a nursing home with residents who have less severe health problems. CMS “About Nursing Home 

Compare,” https://www.medicare.gov/NursingHomeCompare/About/nhcinformation.html. Accessed on November 

13, 2019. 

48 The Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide is available at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. 49 CMS’s Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019 contains detailed instructions for calculating the 

quarterly RN and TN Case-Mix HPRD. 

50 CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, 10.

51 Prior to this April 2018 change, CMS used the RUG-III risk adjustment methodology to determine nursing homes’ 

Staffing Star Ratings. CMS, Memorandum – QSO-18-17-NH, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollmentand-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO18-17-NH.pdf. Accessed on November 22, 2019.

52 CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on November 22, 

2019. 

53 CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on December 6, 2019.
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OEI-04-18-00450 

54 CMS, Nursing home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—July 2018, 12; CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ 

Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on December 6, 2019.

55 CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—July 2018, 12.

56 CMS, QSO Memorandum QSO19-08-NH, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-andCertification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO19-08-NH.pdf. Accessed on December 6, 2019.

57 CMS, Nursing Home Compare Technical Users’ Guide—April 2019, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/ProviderEnrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/downloads/usersguide.pdf. Accessed on December 6, 2019.

58 Ibid.

59 CMS, Your Rights and Protections as a Nursing Home Resident, 

https://downloads.cms.gov/medicare/Your_Resident_Rights_and_Protections_section.pdf. Accessed on November 24, 

2019. 

60 42 CFR §483.35(e)-(f). 

61 States may grant Medicaid-certified nursing home waivers from all nursing services requirements, and the HHS 

Secretary may grant waivers from the daily 8-consecutive-hour RN requirement to (1) nursing homes participating 

only in Medicare; and (2) nursing homes participating in both Medicare and Medicaid. The HHS Secretary delegates 

authority to grant waivers, and this authority differs by facility certification type. For example, the State has authority 

to grant waivers for nursing homes that are only Medicaid-certified, and CMS has authority if the facility participates 

in both Medicare and Medicaid. CMS, State Operations Manual – Appendix PP, 444. To be eligible for staffing 

waivers, the facility must (1) be located in a rural area with a shortage of skilled nurses, (2) have one full-time RN on 

duty for 40 hours per week, and (3) demonstrate an inability to recruit appropriate personnel. Additionally, the 

agency granting the waiver must notify the State Long Term Care Ombudsman (State LTCO) and the State’s 

protection and advocacy system for individuals with mental disorders. Nursing homes that have been granted 

waivers must notify residents.