January 12, 2026
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released Quality & Safety Special Alert Memo QSSAM-26-01-NH to explain recent changes to Nursing Home Care Compare related to the transition to the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). This modernization effort aims to enhance data quality, reliability, and long-term system performance.
As part of the transition, CMS eliminated the use of the term “substantiated” complaints, which is no longer applicable under iQIES. Previously, Nursing Home Care Compare displayed only substantiated complaints. With the removal of this filter, the total number of complaints and facility-reported incidents now displayed on Care Compare has increased, encompassing all allegations and facility-reported incidents from the past three years.
These totals now reflect a broad range of information, including duplicate allegations, unverified claims, and self-reported incidents that do not necessarily represent validated quality concerns or confirmed regulatory violations. CMS has acknowledged that this change may be confusing for consumers reviewing nursing home quality information.
To address this issue, CMS is evaluating how complaint information is displayed on the health inspections page to ensure it is clear, accurate, and useful for individuals making healthcare decisions. During this evaluation period, CMS will remove the number of complaint allegations and facility-reported incidents from Nursing Home Compare, effective February 25, 2026. Official surveys conducted in response to complaints or facility-reported incidents, along with any resulting citations, will continue to be publicly available.
If you notice specific discrepancies or have concerns about your facility's data representation, please contact CMS directly at BetterCare@cms.hhs.gov.