Thu, Jan 17, 2008 (2 a.m.)

In December the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services publicized the names of 54 nursing homes that ranked among the worst in their respective states, in what federal officials say was an effort to shame them into improving conditions.

The nursing homes were among 128 the federal agency had identified as “special focus facilities,” which means they have problems serious enough to warrant extra oversight and inspections every six months, rather than once a year. Congressional Democrats, The Washington Post reports, want to know why all 128 homes were not named. Nine senators have demanded that Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt release the full list.

In addition, legislation introduced in the Senate last month calls for the agency to always release the names of all nursing homes that receive the special focus designation.

Medicare and Medicaid officials have said the 74 unnamed facilities made significant improvements after their initial listing and passed their six-month reviews. Kerry Weems, the agency’s acting administrator, told the Post it didn’t want to “unduly alarm” the staffs and residents of facilities that “may be on the road to improvement.”

Nursing homes have six to seven deficiencies, on average, Weems told the Post. Those on the federal special focus list usually have twice that many, and for long periods. Still, Weems said, states not the federal government determine which nursing homes are deficient. And comparing them nationally isn’t fair because states’ standards vary, she added.

The disparity in states’ standards is an issue that Congress and federal officials should address. It certainly is not an excuse for preventing the public from knowing which nursing homes have been deemed substandard.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is enormous, and people deserve access to complete information. As our nation continues to age, an increasing number of people will be seeking the important services that these facilities provide. The more transparency that can be created in this system, the better.