You Asked: Why did my Quality Measure star rating change even though my Quality Measure points stayed the same?
We Answered: CMS adjusts the Quality Measure (QM) star rating thresholds every six months to account for national improvement in quality performance. Effective with the July 2026 Five-Star refresh, the QM point thresholds increased, meaning some facilities may receive a lower QM star rating even though their QM points did not change (QSO-19-08-NH).
For the July 2026 refresh, CMS calculated the average national improvement in QM scores from January 2025 through April 2026 and increased each QM rating threshold by 50% of that average improvement. As a result, a QM score that previously qualified for a higher star rating may now fall into a lower rating category. For example, an overall QM score of 1,456 points, which previously earned 5 stars, now earns 4 stars.
CMS implemented this methodology to encourage continuous quality improvement and make smaller, more gradual threshold adjustments over time rather than infrequent, larger changes. Top LeadingAge Ohio connected with 508 visitors at the Healthy Aging Expo during the Ohio State Fair. Staff were joined by two volunteer social workers from Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, who helped fairgoers review and complete advance directives and consider their care-planning decisions. Attendees received copies of Conversations That Light the Way and Choices: Living Well at the End of Life, which are also available through LeadingAge Ohio’s free advance directive resources.
These conversations allow individuals to document and share their wishes before a health care crisis, so their families are not left making difficult decisions in the midst of an emergency. LeadingAge Ohio sincerely thanks the volunteers from Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton for generously sharing their time, expertise and compassion with fairgoers throughout the day.
LeadingAge Ohio also asked visitors what excites them most about aging. Freedom, wisdom, retirement, travel and time with grandchildren were among the most common themes. One visitor wrote, “I have more skills every year, and more ideas for using them!” View the social media post and photos from the Healthy Aging Expo. LeadingAge Ohio will periodically have monthly member surveys. This month’s survey will allow us to better understand the vendors and service providers you rely on so we can identify trends, evaluate potential member benefits, and strengthen resources that support your organization. Take this brief survey here. Technology decisions now touch nearly every part of aging services. AI, cybersecurity, emergency preparedness, resident technology support, virtual reality and data use are no longer side conversations. They are operating issues. At this year’s LeadingAge Ohio Annual Conference, technology-focused leaders will find sessions built for strategy, risk management and real-world implementation. Hear from experts and peers on AI planning, cyber risk, resident support, emergency preparedness, data and virtual tools.
Sessions such as:
- 2F. How Virtual Reality is Revolutionizing Senior Care
- 3E. Emergency Preparedness: Integrating Technology and Training in Senior Living
- 5F. Technology Strategies That Transform Resident Lives and Community Operations
- 6C. Using Data to Understand What Seniors Want Most
- 6F. Building an AI Roadmap in Senior Care: Strategy, Pilots, and Real World Lessons
- 7C. AI, Cyber, and Data: The Strategic Trifecta for Senior Living
- 8C. eCompanion Therapy: The Role of Emerging Technology and Emotional Connection in Hospice
- 8E. Innovation Hacks for High Impact Growth on Tight Budgets
- 9D. Managing the Rising Demand for Resident Technology Support
This is more than a conference track. It is a chance to focus on the tools, safeguards and decisions that will affect residents, staff and operations across your organization. View the full conference schedule and make plans to attend. Complete your Annual Conference registration today. If you missed the monthly Survey Tips and Tactics, want to revisit information from a past All-Member Webinar or Advocacy in Action, or have more instant education at your fingertips, check out the on-demand webinars within the LeadingAge Ohio Learning Center and LeadingAge Learning Hub. Members receive discounted or free access to many resources, with new additions added monthly.
Visit the Learning Center here and Learning Hub here. Note the Learning Hub requires a login with LeadingAge National. To create an account, choose the create an account option on the dashboard log in. LeadingAge typically approves new accounts within 24 hours. The LeadingAge Ohio Political Action Committee (PAC) invites members, partners, and guests to spend Monday, September 28, 2026, at the Golf Club of Dublin for a day on the green that makes a difference.
More than just a round of golf, the annual PAC Outing combines spirited competition, camaraderie, and the chance to connect with colleagues and partners, all while enjoying a beautiful course setting. Every swing supports LeadingAge Ohio’s advocacy, ensuring older Ohioans and the professionals who serve them have a strong voice at the statehouse.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Both foursomes and individual golfers are welcome, and spots are available through Friday, September 25. Sponsorships are also open for those who want to further champion the PAC’s mission.
View full event details and register. For questions regarding sponsorship, please contact Corey Markham, Director of Education and Business Development, at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org.
Please note that contributions to Political Action Committees must be made by individuals, partnerships, or LLCs, not corporations, and are not tax-deductible. All contributions are voluntary and will not influence membership standing or benefits. There’s always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio. View upcoming events and mark your calendar today.
- August 6, 9 a.m. - Budget and Finance Committee Meeting
- August 6, 10 a.m. - Advocacy Committee Meeting
- August 12, 11 a.m. - 2026 STAT Survey Tips and Tactics: Preparing for CMS Risk-Based Surveys
- August 13, 10 a.m. - Board of Directors Meeting
- August 14, 1 p.m. - Foundation Board Meeting
- August 17, 10 a.m. - Advocacy in Action
- August 19, 2 p.m. - Home Health and Hospice Subcommittee
- August 20, 1 p.m. - 2026 Reimbursement Collaborative: Maximizing Opportunity in a Changing Environment - The High-Performance Playbook
- August 24, 9 a.m. - Hospice Pre-Conference Sessions
- August 25-27, 2026 - Annual Conference & Trade Show
Top In conjunction with an August 4 press conference in Philadelphia, the Trump Administration announced expanded Medicaid fraud enforcement efforts, including new charges related to Medicaid home care fraud and the expansion of the Northeast Health Care Fraud Strike Force into the Philadelphia region. The initiative involves coordination among the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Administration officials emphasized a broader government-wide strategy to detect and prosecute healthcare fraud. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt highlighted recent CMS program integrity activities, including actions targeting fraudulent providers and concerns about utilization trends in personal care services and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) services. CMS also announced the release of a new state toolkit related to ABA oversight.
LeadingAge supports strong enforcement against fraud and abuse and agrees that bad actors should be held accountable. At the same time, concerns persist that the broader messaging surrounding these announcements may contribute to negative perceptions of home and community-based services (HCBS). Public discussion that focuses heavily on fraud risks can inadvertently undermine confidence in essential HCBS programs that serve older adults and individuals with disabilities.
LeadingAge is also concerned that the messaging accompanying the ABA toolkit may suggest that program growth alone is evidence of misuse, reinforcing broader narratives that question the value and integrity of HCBS. These concerns are heightened in the context of recent federal policy discussions related to community integration and interpretations of Olmstead.
The administration’s press release and press conference materials are available online for additional detail. Top The Ohio Department of Aging has released its draft 2027-2030 State Plan on Aging for public review and comment. Required under the federal Older Americans Act, the four-year plan establishes priorities for programs and services that support older Ohioans, family caregivers and communities across the state.
The draft plan is organized around eight priority areas, including healthy food access, accessible housing and neighborhoods, reliable transportation, quality health care, family caregiver support, social connections, healthy aging and financial stability. These priorities will help guide the department's work and investments over the next four years.
LeadingAge Ohio encourages members to review the draft and consider submitting comments. The State Plan helps shape Ohio's aging services system, making provider feedback an important part of ensuring the final document reflects the needs of older adults and the organizations that serve them.
The public comment period is now open, and ends on August 30, 2026. Members can review the draft plan, learn more about the process and submit comments through the Ohio Department of Aging's public comment page. Top The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have finalized the FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index Final Rule, largely adopting the proposals released earlier this year. The final rule includes a 2.3% hospice payment update and makes no changes to the proposed Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI) methodology, despite significant stakeholder feedback.
CMS also finalized a requirement that all hospice patients receive a Hospice Election Statement Addendum at the time of enrollment, rather than only upon request. In addition, hospices that fail to submit required quality data will now be identified with an icon on the Care Compare website, providing additional transparency for patients and families comparing hospice providers.
CMS's press statement is here and the link to the text of the rule is here. LeadingAge National’s press statement can be found here. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released notifications on August 5 notifying providers that were determined to be out of compliance with Quality Reporting Program (QRP) requirements for CY 2025, which will affect their FY 2027 Annual Payment Update (APU). Non-compliance notifications were sent to providers’ My Reports folders in the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES), for Hospices and SNFs on August 5 and are additionally being distributed by the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). Facilities that receive a letter of non-compliance may submit a request for reconsideration to CMS via email no later than 11:59 pm, September 4, 2026.
If you receive a notice of non-compliance and would like to request a reconsideration, see the instructions in your notice of non-compliance and on the appropriate QRP webpage:
SNF Quality Reporting Reconsideration and Exception & Extension
Hospice Quality Reporting Reconsideration Requests A new analysis from AARP found that 40% of Americans ages 55 to 65 have no retirement savings, underscoring the growing financial challenges facing workers approaching retirement. The findings, based on an analysis of private-sector workers, also show that nearly half of working-age Americans lack access to or participation in a retirement account, with younger workers fairing even worse.
The article notes that many older adults may need to delay retirement or continue working longer than planned due to insufficient savings. Experts point to expanding access to workplace retirement plans and encouraging earlier participation as key strategies to improve retirement security.
Read the original article on Yahoo Finance.
Interested in strengthening your existing or starting a retirement benefit at your organization? Learn more about LeadingAge Ohio’s new PEP retirement member benefit here. The senior care and living sector (independent living, LPC, assisted living, SNF) continues to show strong performance, outperforming other major real estate categories amid growing demand and favorable market conditions. According to data from the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF), senior housing achieved a 10.6% total return in 2025, more than double the broader NCREIF Property Index return of 4.9%.
The sector’s strong performance reflects increasing demand for senior housing, limited new construction, and improving occupancy trends. Independent living and assisted living communities both experienced positive returns, while occupancy reached 89.1% following several years of strong demand and limited inventory growth.
Industry experts note that demographic trends, including the continued growth of the older adult population, are creating long-term opportunities for senior living providers. However, challenges remain, including workforce pressures, development costs, and the need to expand access to affordable options for older adults.
Read the original article in McKnight’s Senior Living – Senior care and living sector outperforms others Top K-tag 353, Sprinkler system testing and maintenance is currently the second most frequently cited K-tag in Ohio for 2026, making it an important area for facilities to proactively review. Recent survey citations have included:
- Missing required spare sprinkler heads and the appropriate sprinkler wrench.
- Incomplete or unavailable documentation of required sprinkler inspections, testing, backflow preventer testing, and pressure gauge calibration.
- Missing escutcheon plates on sprinkler heads in resident rooms, bathrooms, and common areas.
- Sprinkler heads that were corroded, dirty, obstructed, or beyond required testing intervals without evidence of the required sample testing.
- Pressure gauges that were damaged, overdue for calibration, or not maintained as required.
- Leaking backflow preventer valves.
- Exposed wiring on electronically supervised control valves (OS&Y valves).
- Deficiencies identified during annual inspections that were not corrected, including clogged inspector's test lines, malfunctioning quick-opening devices (accelerators), equipment left in the shut-off position, and deteriorated piping with significant debris buildup.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has developed a Preventative Maintenance Manual for Long-Term Care Facilities that includes a comprehensive checklist of required preventative maintenance activities, along with the applicable NFPA standards and regulatory requirements. Facilities should use this resource to verify that all required inspections, testing, and maintenance are completed on schedule and appropriately documented.
CMS has also released a new Life Safety Code Advanced: Sprinkler System training through the Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP). While designed for surveyors, the training is also beneficial for facility managers and maintenance staff. It reviews NFPA sprinkler system requirements, key system components, installation standards, inspection, testing and maintenance procedures, and common deficiencies that surveyors evaluate during Life Safety Code surveys. Representatives from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Ohio Department of Aging (AGE), and provider associations met on July 30 to discuss current survey activity, regulatory updates, and emerging issues affecting long-term care providers. Several updates may help providers prepare for upcoming surveys and avoid common compliance concerns.
ODH reported continued progress in reducing the survey backlog. As of the meeting, there were 235 overdue nursing home annual surveys, with an average interval of 25.5 months between surveys. Residential care facilities had 87 overdue annual surveys, with an average survey interval of 15.4 months. ODH also announced the recent hiring of 11 additional surveyors, bringing the department to approximately 160 budgeted surveyor positions, with plans to hire additional surveyors later this fall. The implementation of ODH's new survey software, CLASS, has been delayed and no implementation date has been finalized as the department continues working with its vendor.
On the regulatory front, ODH reported that rule reviews continue for the Abuse, Neglect, and Misappropriation regulations as well as the Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) rules. Additional information will be shared as those rule packages move through the review process.
The Ohio Department of Aging provided several updates regarding resident and family satisfaction surveys. Providers participating in the second half of the Resident Satisfaction Survey can expect communications from ODA in late August or September. These surveys will collect resident feedback through February, with reports becoming available after data collection is complete. ODA also anticipates releasing Family Satisfaction Survey reports in October. To assist providers in making the most of these reports, Erin Pettigrew from ODA will present on August 20, demonstrating how to access survey results, interpret performance data, identify trends, and use the Priority Index to focus quality improvement efforts.
One topic generating significant discussion involved Life Safety Code surveys for nursing facilities providing ventilator or critical care services. ODH clarified that surveyors are not applying new Life Safety Code requirements. Facilities identified as providing ventilator services have been surveyed to the EES Category 1 standards for more than ten years. However, providers may be seeing an increase in citations because surveyors now have access to the Ohio Department of Medicaid's list identifying facilities approved for critical care services rather than relying solely on whether a facility currently has a ventilator resident. ODH advised that facilities cited under these standards that no longer intend to provide ventilator services should contact Ohio Medicaid to be removed from the critical care list and document that action in their Plan of Correction. ODH also acknowledged questions regarding facilities providing only non-invasive ventilation and indicated the department will further evaluate that issue.
When asked about common survey trends, ODH indicated that Immediate Jeopardy citations continue to occur when facilities fail to recognize or respond appropriately to significant changes in a resident's condition. Delays in obtaining necessary medical treatment and poor resident outcomes resulting from delayed intervention remain recurring themes. Providers should continue emphasizing prompt assessment, physician notification, timely treatment, and thorough documentation whenever a resident experiences a significant change in condition. Top LeadingAge Ohio member McGregor has broken ground on McGregor Landing, a $35 million development that will bring affordable housing and coordinated health care services to older adults in Lorain County. Developed with CHN Housing Partners, the four-story building will include 115 apartments for adults age 55 and older who earn 60% or less of the area median income.
McGregor Landing will be located next to McGregor PACE, placing housing and comprehensive health services on one campus. The project is expected to be completed in 2027. Watch the original 19 News report. Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Ohio nurses must meet specific continuing education requirements to renew their licenses, and rule changes taking effect with the 2027 renewal cycle will alter what they need to track. Join LeadingAge Ohio for Nursing Law webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. September 22 for a focused review of Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 4723-14, license renewal requirements, qualifying continuing education and common misunderstandings that may affect compliance.
Participants will earn 1.0 Category A contact hour and hear from Brittany Turner, MSN, RN, CNEcl, NPD-BC, director of continuing education at the Ohio Nurses Association. The session will explain the 2026 rule changes and help nurses prepare before the next renewal cycle. The Ohio Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Register for the Nursing law webinar. Enrollment is now open for the Winter 2027 session of the Core of Knowledge, a program designed for Administrators-in-Residence that fulfills the academic requirement set by the Board of Executives of Long-Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) for qualifying to sit for the state licensure board examination to become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA).
The three-week course will be held January 11–28, 2027, Monday through Thursday, at the OCLC Conference Center. This is one of only two opportunities to complete the required coursework in 2027.
The deadline to register is December 11, 2025. Learn more and register for the 2027 Winter Core of Knowledge. For additional information, contact Corey Markham at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org. Top
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