On January 9, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) issued a Quality & Safety Special Alert Memo, “Impact of iQIES (Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System) Transition on Nursing Home Compare.” The transition which occurred in July 2025, has evolved in the data-driven headache that was anticipated, but the errors have negatively impacted some providers more than others.
The Special Alert issued today stated that CMS recognizes that there have been some “data discrepancies” during the transition and that the Agency is working to resolve all issues, including ones raised by providers.
If you have a concern about your facility’s data on Nursing Home Compare due to the iQIES data transition, you can contact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at: BetterCare@cms.hhs.gov
Complaint Numbers Go Up? You’re Not the Only Facility.
The memo also notes that the term “substantiated” is no longer applicable to complaints, so therefore, when CMS was transitioning systems, the filter for “substantiated” was removed . . . That means that all allegations and all facility-reported incidents over the past three years were posted on Nursing Home Compare.
Specifically, the Alert states that “duplicate allegations, unverified claims, and self-reported incidents that do not necessarily reflect validated quality concerns or regulatory violations” were factored into the data displayed on Nursing Home Compare.
To remedy this, CMS is removing the number of complaint allegations and facility-reported incidents, with the exception of official complaint surveys and complaint citations which were issued from a complaint investigation. This will start on February 25, 2026 (likely with the February Care Compare refresh). CMS will provide additional updates on how the data will be displayed in the future.
View the January 9, 2026 Memo (QSSAM-26-01-NH) here for further information.
