Slashed Nursing Home Inspections Draw Ire of Congress, Attorneys

A federal directive to suspend most nursing home inspections during the Covid-19 pandemic is drawing scrutiny from lawmakers, attorneys, and patient advocates who say it’s fueling poor resident care and an explosion of infections and deaths.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has halted most on-site, non-emergency inspections so nursing homes and inspectors can devote more time and resources to infection control and other patient safety issues. The agency is urging facilities that aren’t being inspected to use a self-assessment survey to measure their compliance with state and federal guidelines.

The surveys have led states to schedule more than ...