Do you need to find a nursing home? Release of ownership information is a "unprecedented step" by the Biden administration

About 15,000 nursing facilities are owned nationwide, according to federal statistics provided on Monday. This information will help state regulators, researchers, and the general public keep track of common owners.

Officials stated that the endeavour by the Biden administration to shed light on a sector that receives significant federal money includes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data. The new ownership details come after data on more than 3,000 nursing homes that have changed ownership through mergers or purchases since 2016 were made public in April.

The ownership information is one of the department's "unique actions," according to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, to fulfil Vice President Biden's mandate to raise the standard of nursing home care across the country. At a meeting of Cabinet secretaries and agency heads held by Biden's competitiveness council, Becerra was scheduled to go into greater detail.

"Every family should have the assurance that their loved ones in nursing homes are receiving the greatest care available, "added Becerra. "To increase transparency for academics, regulators, and loved ones, we are continuing to make more data publicly available than ever before.

Why is this information crucial?

The public has mostly been unable to access statistics on nursing home ownership, particularly details on for-profit chains that have extended their involvement in the sector. Officials in the Biden administration want to keep an eye on whether investors are concentrating ownership in certain areas, which might lessen competition and raise the cost of healthcare.

According to CMS officials, the data will make it possible for state licencing authorities, law enforcement, researchers, and the general public to identify nursing facilities' common owners. According to officials, state licencing agencies, for instance, will be able to follow nursing home operators who may have a history of providing subpar care.