Federal regulation requires a nursing home to be surveyed at least every 15 months. As of mid-August 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) own data shows that 16.2% of active providers nationwide – nearly 1 in 6 – have already passed that ceiling without being surveyed.
The backlog isn’t evenly spread. In one CMS region, nearly half of all active providers haven’t been surveyed in over a year. In another, the backlog is close to zero.
That gap matters more than it looks like it should. A longer wait since your last survey doesn’t mean a longer runway before your next one – it often means the opposite once a State Survey Agency starts working through its backlog.
We pulled the full regional breakdown – all 10 CMS regions, three overdue thresholds – and what it means for facilities that are assuming they have more time than they actually do.
Get the full regional backlog report ->(Free for healthcare providers – join the CMSCG Insights list to get it, plus subscriber-only analysis not found on the CMSCG Blog.)
