HHS OIG Releases Study on Failure of Nursing Homes to Protect Patients from COVID

In the second of three reports, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that during the pandemic surges of 2020, more than 1,300 nursing homes had COVID-19 infection rates of 75 percent or more among their Medicare beneficiaries. The report also found that the survey process did not identify deficiencies in infection control for the majority of nursing homes with extremely high infection rates. In addition, the vast majority of nursing homes with extremely high COVID rates reported nursing hours that met or exceeded Medicare’s specific minimum requirements.

The OIG recommended that CMS take the following actions: (1) reexamine current nursing staff requirements and revise them as necessary; (2) improve how surveys identify infection control risks to nursing home residents and strengthen guidance on assessing the scope and severity of those risks; and (3) target nursing homes in most need of infection control intervention, and provide enhanced oversight and technical assistance to these facilities as appropriate. Among these recommendations, OIG specifically noted the need for CMS to examine the most effective use of IPs in the nursing home setting. OIG also suggested that CMS consult with knowledgeable sources such as APIC on the best way to identify infection control problems in nursing homes.

Read the OIG report.