More than 14,500 complaints were lodged against hospitals in fiscal 2024, a 79% increase in complaints compared to fiscal 2019, according to a CMS report published Aug. 6.
Federal CMS annually assesses each state CMS survey agency on how they enforce national regulations on healthcare facilities. Despite resource and workload challenges, state agencies’ funding has remained unchanged since 2019, the report said.
In the last five years, the number of complaints requiring investigation has risen 31.3%. Most complaints concerned nursing homes, which were upward of 107,000, according to the report.
In 2024, almost all states failed to meet all federal performance standards. Only four states met all 14 survey and intake measures: Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota and Rhode Island.
