Policy & oversight
Medicare's Care Compare Website Will Show New Quality Labels for High-Performing Nursing Homes Starting September 30
About 12 percent of nursing facilities that consistently meet strict quality criteria will receive a new risk-based survey designation on Medicare's public comparison tool, giving beneficiaries an additional signal when evaluating facilities.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamSeptember 28, 2026
Beginning September 30, 2026, Medicare's Care Compare website will display a new designation for nursing homes that qualify for the federal risk-based survey program. Approximately 12 percent of nursing facilities nationwide are expected to receive the label when it goes live.
To qualify, a facility must meet four criteria on a quarterly basis: an overall five-star rating on Care Compare, accurate and timely data submission to CMS, zero citations in the most recent health inspection indicating harm or substandard quality of care, and no recent ownership changes. Facilities meeting all four criteria receive less frequent state inspections, which allows surveyors to concentrate resources on lower-performing homes.
On September 30, Medicare's Care Compare site adds a new quality label for top nursing homes. Here is what it means.
The designation will be visible on Care Compare at medicare.gov, where beneficiaries can already compare nursing homes by location, staffing levels, quality measures, and star ratings. The new label adds a layer of information beyond the existing star-rating system: it signals sustained quality over time, not just a current rating.
CMS announced the risk-based survey approach in July 2026, began national implementation in September, and set September 30 as the date the Care Compare indicator would go public. The label will be updated regularly as facilities' qualifying status changes.
With the Annual Enrollment Period opening October 15, Medicare beneficiaries who are weighing skilled nursing facility benefits in their coverage options may want to check Care Compare for the new designation before that date.
In plain words
Starting September 30, the government's nursing home comparison website will add a new quality label. About 12 out of every 100 nursing homes will get this label. To earn it, a home must have five stars, no recent citations for harming residents, and no recent change in ownership. You can look up nursing homes at medicare.gov. The new label shows that a nursing home has kept high quality over time, not just at one point.
Understand the basics first
Source: CMS
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