November 17, 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a final rule calling for nursing homes to disclose specific ownership and managerial information—including skilled nursing facility medical directors.
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine has been advocating for a publicly available database of nursing home medical directors for more than a decade, and Society leaders are thrilled with CMS’ actions in this final rule.
“AMDA has strongly advocated for the public reporting of nursing home medical directors for many years, including working with members of Congress on legislation—the Nursing Home Disclosure Act—that addresses this important topic,” said Milta Little, DO, CMD, the Society’s president. “We are happy that CMS has addressed this in its new rule and believe it is thanks in no small part to the steadfast efforts of our members and staff. We appreciate everyone’s vision and passion.”
“Providing the public with information about the medical director will ensure that patients and residents, as well as their families, policymakers, and others, will have access to and learn more about the clinical and administrative leader of the facility,” added Alex Bardakh, MPP, CAE, AMDA’s senior director, advocacy and strategic partnerships. “This rule is a testament that change can happen with the right message and approach. We applaud everyone who has worked with us to achieve this outcome.” It will be essential to monitor how this information is presented to the public, and the Society stands ready to engage with CMS as this rule is implemented.
The CMS rule is a step toward Biden Administration's goals of increasing the transparency of nursing home ownership and overall industry competition. As always, the Society appreciates the administration’s continued focus on the needs of patients and residents in post-acute and long-term care and the recognition that they, along with their families, need access to all the information necessary to make critical care-related decisions.
Read the rule and the CMS fact sheet.
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About AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is the only medical specialty society representing the community of over 50,000 medical directors, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other practitioners working in the various post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) settings. Dedicated to defining and improving quality, we advance our mission through timely professional development, evidence-based clinical guidance, and tireless advocacy on behalf of members, patients, families, and staff. Visit www.paltc.org for more information.