Iowa agency disputes auditor report on nursing home inspections

DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa agency pushed back on Auditor Rob Sand’s latest report accusing the state of taking too long to do nursing home inspections.

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, also known as DIAL, argues it is conducting nursing home inspections in a timely manner and will meet federal requirements.

The state said it’s supposed to take no longer than 15.9 months to do inspections, something Auditor Sand claimed is taking roughly 17 months.

“The state auditor…released a misleading report based on outdated and/or incorrect data and inaccurate performance measurements,” DIAL said. “Had the auditor contacted our department and worked with us, as he had done in the past, we would have provided his office with the accurate federal performance measurements and current inspection data.”

DIAL said for federal fiscal year 2024, 99% of Iowa nursing homes are meeting inspection requirements and that the remaining 1% will be completed before the end of September.

They also said the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services will release its own findings once the fiscal year concludes in two weeks.

You can read DIAL’s full response in the statement below:

“The state auditor today (Monday) released a misleading report based on outdated and/or incorrect data and inaccurate performance measurements,” DIAL said. “Had the auditor contacted our department and worked with us, as he had done in the past, we would have provided his office with the accurate federal performance measurements and current inspection data. The auditor’s report is inaccurate, incomplete, and confusing. It is also a waste of taxpayer dollars as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) will release their own findings of the state survey agencies after the federal fiscal year concludes which is in two weeks. In short, dial is conducting timely nursing home inspections and will meet the federal requirements.

The Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) will meet the federal mandate for nursing home inspections in federal fiscal year 2024 (Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2024). Inspection criteria for state agencies, directed by CMS for federal fiscal year 2024, require that no more than 15.9 months elapses between completed standard surveys for any individual nursing home. The federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30, 2024, and the department has worked diligently to complete surveys prior to the end of the federal fiscal year. As of today, for ffy 2024, 99% of nursing homes in Iowa are within the required individual 15.9-month recurring inspection interval and the remaining 1% will be completed before the end of this month. The statewide average interval for all nursing homes is 12.75 months and will continue to improve.

Due to the dedication and hard work of the state’s surveyors (nursing home inspectors) the state has reduced the backlog caused by the pandemic and is conducting nursing home inspections in a timely manner.”