Woodlawn, MD — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has rolled out a quarterly update to the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program, marking the first time two new measures appear in public data: how well facilities transfer residents’ health information at discharge and influenza vaccination rates among healthcare personnel.
CMS said the additions are meant to tighten care handoffs and reinforce infection control after several turbulent seasons. Updated metrics are now live on the federal Care Compare site and cover more than 15,000 nursing homes nationwide.
“These new QRP measures are a critical step toward seamless care transitions,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a press statement. “Better data means better outcomes and fewer costly readmissions.”
What’s new in the data
The transfer measure — formally, Transfer of Health Information to Provider Post-Acute Care — evaluates whether facilities send essential clinical details, such as current medications and diagnoses, to the next provider when a resident is discharged. The influenza vaccination measure tracks the share of staff vaccinated during the prior flu season, reported through the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network.
There are no immediate penalties attached to the new metrics, but CMS has signaled they will be factored into payment updates beginning in fiscal 2027. Separately, failure to report required QRP data can trigger a 2% Medicare payment reduction as soon as fiscal 2026.
Early results show gaps
Initial numbers point to uneven performance across the country. According to agency data and industry analyses, roughly 65% of facilities scored above 80% on the transfer measure, while staff flu vaccination averaged 78% — down from about 85% before the 2024 season as workforce turnover persisted.
Rural providers lag in particular on information transfers, with some states reporting average scores in the mid-50s. Vaccination rates also vary: organizations with stronger labor-management engagement reported higher uptake, according to industry reports.
Quality advocates say the new measures reflect longstanding problem areas. Federal watchdogs have linked incomplete handoffs to 20% to 30% of 30-day hospital readmissions, costing Medicare an estimated $17 billion annually. CMS and outside researchers also note facilities with higher transfer scores see fewer emergency returns to the hospital.
Providers weigh costs and benefits
Operators broadly support the goals but warn that compliance requires time and technology investments. “While we support quality improvement, the added reporting layers strain already overburdened facilities. CMS must provide more technical assistance, especially for smaller operators,” American Health Care Association President and CEO Mark Parkinson said in a statement.
LeadingAge’s clinical leaders called the dip in flu vaccination a red flag heading into the winter, urging facilities to push staffing campaigns to reach 90% coverage. Family advocates welcomed the transparency. “Families deserve to know how information is shared when a loved one leaves a nursing home,” a representative of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care said. “This update is progress, but enforcement is key.”
Why the refresh matters
The additions arrive as regulators intensify focus on nursing home quality and staffing. The transfer measure is intended to cut avoidable readmissions by standardizing what data follows a resident to the next setting, whether a hospital, home health agency, or physician practice. The vaccination measure is designed to shore up infection control as facilities balance a tight labor market and seasonal surges.
For operators, the refresh could influence public perceptions on Care Compare and accelerate investments in electronic health records, data exchange tools, and staff training. Smaller facilities — about 40% of the sector — may face the steepest learning curve integrating systems to reliably capture and transmit data, according to industry sources.
What’s next
Facilities can review their updated QRP data through CMS’s standard preview processes and request corrections where needed. CMS has indicated it will continue refining measures in 2026, including potential additions that account for social drivers of health and equity in discharge outcomes.
In the nearer term, nursing homes will be watching two fronts: hitting vaccination targets as flu season peaks, and tightening discharge workflows to ensure complete, timely information reaches receiving providers. Both will be closely tracked in the quarters ahead — and, eventually, at the payment level.
