SNF quality refresh and January preview
Published November 4, 2026 · Coverage October 25–31, 2026, Pacific · Medium priority
CMS says its October skilled nursing facility quality-data refresh is available, with older Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary data remaining in place. CMS had already announced the spending-data delay in July. Separately, an October 15 notice identifies November 14 for review of January 2027 preview reports, subject to CMS's review and data-correction rules.
In its October 28 update, CMS says the SNF Quality Reporting Program refresh is available on Medicare.gov's compare tool and the Provider Data Catalog. Assessment-based measures reflect SNF data from the first through fourth quarters of 2025; other measures use different periods. CMS says the spending measure, based on fourth-quarter 2022 through third-quarter 2024 data, would not update in October because of delayed claims data. It anticipates releasing updated provider scores based on fourth-quarter 2023 through third-quarter 2025 data in the January 2027 refresh. The January release is a stated plan, not an observed completion.
CMS had already described that same delay and planned January update in its July 15 provider-preview notice. The October 28 development is the announced availability of the October refresh and a renewed explanation, not a newly announced delay.
CMS's October 15 entry says January 2027 provider preview reports are available and identifies November 14, 2026 for facilities to review their data. Providers may request CMS review during the preview period if they believe their displayed scores are inaccurate. CMS says assessment updates submitted after the final submission deadline will not appear in the preview reports or on Medicare.gov; corrections it agrees to make appear in a subsequent quarterly release. Facilities should verify the actual report, current deadline, submission deadlines and CMS review procedure rather than assume the preview reopens data submission. No new payment duty or rate is established.
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