Nursing Home News 2026Jan09

Seeking Member Input on Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System

LeadingAge asked the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) in a December 19 letter for a meeting to discuss the alternative approaches to calculating the Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System by changing how the various domains - staffing, health inspections, and quality measures — are weighted. We will be meeting with the MedPAC staff in early February to discuss our concerns with the current approaches they are considering, which include an option in which all domains are weighted equally, and a second option in which staffing is weighted more heavily than health inspections and quality measures. Learn more and read our letter to MedPAC here. LeadingAge is seeking member input on what changes, if any, should be made to Five Star. Please share your input with Jodi Eyigor. 

Nebraska Medicaid Provider Manual: The Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care (MLTC) published the Nebraska Medicaid Provider Manual on January 6, 2026. The manual outlines Nebraska Medicaid's coverage policy as well as the requirements and procedures for health care providers participating in Nebraska Medicaid. The Manual can be found here. For a breakdown of requirements see the HCBS Blog Post. 

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