Nursing homes failed to report 43 percent of falls with major injury and hospitalization among their Medicare-enrolled residents
Nursing homes failed to report 43 percent of falls with major injury and hospitalization among their Medicare-enrolled residents
HHS Office of the Inspector General; Report number: OEI-05-24-00180; 9/18/25
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Care Compare website is meant to help consumers make informed choices in selecting providers using quality data, including nursing home fall rates. This report found that between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, 43 percent of major injury falls were not reported in Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments, undermining the accuracy of this data. Underreporting was most common in for-profit, chain, and larger nursing homes, and varied by State and resident characteristics. This suggests that some facilities may be avoiding reporting events that could negatively affect their quality scores. As a result, Care Compare may mislead the public about nursing home safety. OIG released this report with an accompanying data snapshot, Serious Falls Resulting in Hospitalization Among Medicare-Enrolled Nursing Home Residents, OEI-05-24-0018.