Nursing homes are largely funded through taxpayer dollars, including through the federal Medicare and state Medicaid programs. States, however, have the primary responsibility for oversight of nursing homes to ensure that these facilities are meeting state and federal requirements for transparency, quality, staffing, and reporting. Recently, the federal government has been working to improve transparency and accountability in nursing homes, including by increasing Medicare reimbursement rates, updating staffing data, and revising ownership reporting requirements, as well as establishing requirements around nursing home care safety and facility staffing minimums. While states are beginning to respond to federal changes through state policies and programs aimed at improving nursing home care, there is limited support available to help states plan, develop, and implement these efforts.
In response, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), through support from Arnold Ventures, launched the State Nursing Home Innovation & Transparency Learning Collaborative. This 12-month program worked with teams in five states — California, Kentucky, Michigan, Oregon, and Virginia — to implement innovative strategies that improve nursing home transparency and accountability.
Participating state teams identified a state project or policy to advance and developed an action plan to promote their goals. State teams had access to:
- One-on-one technical assistance from CHCS staff to develop their action plan, including support with research, policy analysis, and model legislative/regulatory language;
- Subject matter experts, including those who have helped advance nursing home care reforms in other states; and
- A Nursing Home State Network for peer-to-peer learning among participating states to fosters the sharing of best practices and lessons.
The learning collaborative provided participating state teams with the evidence, expertise, and best-practice knowledge to develop initiatives that support meaningful improvements in nursing home care for their residents.
