You Asked... We Answered

You Asked: What reports are available to monitor a facility’s compliance with the Quality Reporting Program (QRP)?

We Answered: CMS provides several Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) QRP reports that allow facilities to monitor data submission, identify errors, and validate performance before information is publicly reported on Care Compare. Proactive review of these reports is critical to ensure accuracy and avoid potential public reporting discrepancies. Below is a summary of the key reports available.

• Provider Threshold Reports (PTRs): The MDS assessment data for the SNF QRP PTR are updated in real time once the submissions are processed and the accepted assessments are saved into the iQIES database. The COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among HCP measure is updated on the PTR quarterly, and the HCP Influenza Vaccine measure is updated on the PTR twice a year. Report updates occur soon after the data correction deadlines.
• iQIES Review and Correct Reports: These are updated on a quarterly basis with assessment data and refreshed weekly as data become available. The Review and Correct Reports add a new quarter and remove the earliest quarter of data on the first day of the calendar month after the end of the quarter. After the data correction deadline for a quarter, the data for that quarter are no longer updated on the Review and Correct Report but continue to be updated on the Quality Measure Facility-Level and Resident-Level Reports. The data for the CDC/NHSN measures are not added to the Review and Correct Reports, since the measures are stewarded by the CDC. In lieu of this, the CDC makes accessible to SNFs reports that are similar to the Review and Correct Reports that allow for real-time review of data submissions for all CDC NSHN measures. These are referred to as “CMS Reports” within the “Analysis Reports” page in the NHSN Application.
• Quality Measure (QM) Facility-Level Reports: The assessment-based (MDS) measures on the SNF QRP QM Reports are updated monthly. Calculations for QM reports are run on the first day of each month. The new quarter end date is available for selection on the first day of the second month in a calendar quarter. The claims-based measures are updated annually, typically in October. The HCP COVID-19 Vaccine measure is updated quarterly on the QM Facility-Level Report. The HCP Influenza Vaccine measure was added to the QM Facility-Level Report in October 2023 and is updated annually in October.
• QM Resident-Level Reports: Updates to the MDS assessment-based measures occur simultaneous with the updates to the QM Facility-Level Reports. CDC/NHSN and claims-based measures are not included on the QM Resident-Level Reports.
• MDS 3.0 NH Error Detail / MDS 3.0 SB Error Detail Report: Providers can run this report to identify a list of assessments that encountered an error, including APU errors, during a period of their choosing. The report displays the resident’s name, the item(s) that encountered the error, and the data value that was submitted for the affected item(s). This report can help SNFs identify their impacted assessment(s).

Ohio Leaders Press Federal Priorities During Leadership Summit

Susan Wallace, president and CEO, and Eli Faes, director of public policy, were in Washington this week for LeadingAge’s National Leadership Summit and Lobby Day, joined by Ohio members representing the full continuum of aging services. The group met with members of Ohio’s congressional delegation, including Sens. Husted and Moreno and Reps. Jordan, Beatty, Carey, Davidson, Kaptur, Latta, and Landsman, to bring provider experience directly into federal policy discussions.

Their message centered on key national priorities outlined for Lobby Day, emphasizing the cross-cutting challenges in workforce and the healthcare workforce as a key economic driver, the need for developing new affordable housing while also preserving affordability for communities approaching the end of their lifespan, and ensuring access to hospice amidst fraud and program integrity challenges, as well as promoting cost-saving home- and community-based services through the Older Americans Act. Conversations emphasized the financial pressures facing nonprofit providers and the need for stable federal support to sustain services for older adults and caregivers.

See photos from Lobby Day on LinkedIn. 

Advocacy Action: Engage Resident Councils on Personal Needs Allowance

Since the passage of the SFY 2027-2028 biennial budget last summer, LeadingAge Ohio has heard from members and residents alike who are frustrated with the budget’s omission of assisted living residents from the important increase to the personal needs allowance. Now, we are asking members to engage their residents in advocacy to increase visibility and demand action.

The personal needs allowance, which is the amount of income that a resident is able to keep to pay for small purchases like haircuts, cellular service, or a meal out with friends, became a priority for the DeWine Administration in the months leading up to the budget process, when a resident council wrote to the administration requesting that the amount be increased. The purchasing power of the monthly amount had diminished over time and had not been increased in many years. Once the bill was passed, however, it became clear that the Administration only intended to increase the amount for individuals residing in nursing facilities and not those who are part of the assisted living waiver program. 

This is particularly challenging because individuals in assisted living often have higher personal expenses than those in nursing facilities, and it also serves to discourage moving to a lower-cost care setting. 

LeadingAge Ohio has drafted talking points for members explaining the solution, as well as a draft letter for residents. We strongly encourage members to make these tools available to their resident advocates, including sharing them with their assisted living resident councils. While member advocacy is welcome, we believe that residents will have the strongest voice and impact on the Administration to address this issue. 

Additionally, this week, Representative Click (R-Tiffin) introduced HB 822, which would increase the personal needs allowance for all long-term care settings to $100 per month. 

Maximize Your Membership: Recruit Top Nursing Talent at Hondros Career Fairs

As part of our collaboration with Hondros College of Nursing, LeadingAge Ohio members may attend Hondros’s Career Fairs at no charge. Career fairs will be held throughout May at their Akron, Cincinnati/West Chester, Cleveland/Independence, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo/Maumee campuses. Learn more and RSVP here. 

Stay Connected Snapshot

There's always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio, view all upcoming events here and mark your calendar today!

• April 28, 9:30 a.m. - SNF/AL Clinical/Operations Subcommittee 
• April 29, 1 p.m. - Palmetto GBA Jurisdiction M, 2026 Medicare Home Health Workshop - Navigating the Essentials of Medicare
• April 30, 9 a.m. - Advanced Principles of Hospice Management
• April 30, 10 a.m. - Philanthropy Network
• April 30, 12:30 p.m. -  Central/Southeast STARS Awards
• May 5, 12:30 p.m. - Northeast STARS Awards
• May 5, 1 p.m. - BELTSS: Ethics in Practice
• May 7, 9 a.m. - Budget and Finance Committee
• May 7, 10 a.m. - Advocacy Committee
• May 7, 4 p.m. - Spring Regional Networking Gathering - Cincinnati
• May 8, 11 a.m. - Adult Day Subcommittee
• May 12, 1 p.m. - Membership Committee
• May 12, 4 p.m. - Spring Regional Networking Gathering - Toledo
• May 13, 4 p.m. - Survey Tips & Tactics: Medical Record Compliance

AI Literacy Essentials

AI is already in your workplace, but without clear direction, results stay small. LeadingAge makes the case: organizations see real impact when training is led by the employer—not left to individual trial and error.

The AI Literacy Essentials for Aging Services course gives your team a simple starting point. It builds a shared understanding of how to use AI in daily work, so you can move from scattered use to consistent practice. 

Find LeadingAge Ohio’s AI Policy Toolkit here.

Ohio Medicaid Faces $33 Billion Funding Hit Under HR1, Report Says

A new report from Health Policy Institute of Ohio Ohio further warns of the proposed federal changes to Medicaid financing, including limits on provider taxes or shifts to capped funding models, could reduce federal support to states. For Ohio, that likely means pressure on the state budget, potential cuts to services, and added strain on providers serving people with low incomes. Read the full summary from Health Policy Ohio.

OSHA Targets More Industries in Heat Safety Program

OSHA is expanding its heat safety enforcement to reach more aging services providers, including those delivering care in home- and community-based settings. The update signals increased federal attention to how organizations assess and respond to heat risk—especially during extreme weather—while broader rulemaking on a national heat standard remains pending.

What You Need To Know

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a revised National Emphasis Program directive on April 10, 2026, expanding enforcement on heat-related hazards in both indoor and outdoor settings.
• Newly targeted industries now include NAICS Code 6241 – Individual and Family Services, covering settings such as adult day services and home- and community-based care.
• OSHA will prioritize inspections on days when the National Weather Service issues a local heat warning or advisory.
• A 90-day outreach period is required before programmed inspections begin in newly targeted industries.
• The program adds new guidance on evaluating employer heat illness prevention efforts and issuing citations. The initiative will remain in effect for five years.

What Happens Next

• The enforcement program operates separately from OSHA’s proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rule, which would establish a nationwide standard.
• That proposed rule would require employers to assess heat risk and implement safeguards such as water access, rest breaks, and indoor temperature controls.
• The rule would apply broadly across industries but may exclude certain climate-controlled indoor settings.
• OSHA has not yet finalized the rule.

What to Do

• Review current policies for preventing heat-related illness across all service settings, including care delivered in private homes.
• Prepare for potential outreach from OSHA during the 90-day education period.
• Identify how heat risk is assessed and documented, especially for staff working in nontraditional environments.
• Monitor federal rulemaking and LeadingAge advocacy, including LeadingAge comments on the proposed standard, which call for flexibility in home-based care settings.

For more information, read the full article here.

Survey Tip of the Week: Effective Nurse Aide Training

Compliance with F947, Training for Nurse Aides under §483.95(g), goes beyond documenting the required 12 hours of training each year. Surveyors will evaluate whether the in-service training program is effective, individualized, and responsive to actual care needs. The State Operations Manual Appendix PP notes that the training must include dementia management training and resident abuse prevention training. Additionally, the training must address areas of weakness as determined in nurse aides' performance reviews and facility assessment at §483.71 and may address the special needs of residents as determined by the facility staff. For nurse aides providing services to individuals with cognitive impairments, the training must also address the care of the cognitively impaired.

Facilities should use surveyor probes as a self-assessment to evaluate whether their training program meets regulatory expectations. Key considerations include:

• How has in-service education addressed any areas of weakness identified in performance reviews, and any special resident needs, or needs of residents with cognitive impairments?
• How does the facility evaluate nurse aide performance to determine what topics must be included in in-service training to address areas of weakness?
• How does the facility determine when training content must be updated (e.g., in order to remain consistent with current professional standards and guidelines)?
• What process does the facility have to encourage nurse aides to express concerns and request training in challenging situations? How does the facility respond to nurse aide’s concerns and requests?
• Does the facility’s training address nurse aide training needs to ensure residents attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being as determined by resident assessments and individual plans of care?
• How does the facility assess nurse aides to determine if the training has been effective?
• Were nurse aides observed working with residents in a manner that indicates a training need?
• Did interviews with residents and/or resident representatives indicate any areas where training was needed?
• What type of training do the nurse aides report receiving about the concern identified by the surveyor?
• Verify the mandatory nurse aide in-service program is no less than 12 hours per year.
• Review facility training records which supports mandatory nurse aide attendance.

Deadline Extended for Life Plan Community Salary and Benefits Studies

Participation is still open for the annual Life Plan Community/Continuing Care Retirement Community (LPC/CCRC) Salary & Benefits Study, conducted in cooperation with LeadingAge’s partner Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS). These studies give participating organizations access to trusted, field‑specific data on compensation and benefits, helping leaders stay competitive on pay, support workforce planning, and inform budgeting for the year ahead. Members are encouraged to complete the questionnaire by the May 4 deadline. Find more details here.

Check out the LeadingAge Ohio Education Calendar!

LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events.