The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published updated performance standards for the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 26) and Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 27) Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program.

These updated performance standards, pertaining specifically to the Total Nurse Staffing Turnover measure, are based on a technical update that impacts the calculation of the achievement threshold and benchmark for the FY 26 and FY 27 program years. That is, the July 2024 update to the measure methodology to define turnover using a 90-day gap in days worked instead of the original 60-day gap.

More information can be found in the Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System Technical Users’ Guide.