SNF VBP

Updated Fiscal Year 2028 Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program Performance Standards

This communication pertains to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2028 Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program performance standards for the Number of Hospitalizations per 1,000 Long Stay Resident Days (Long Stay Hospitalization) measure which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the FY 2026 SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS) Final Rule on August 4, 2025. The Long Stay Hospitalization measure is one of the eight measures included in the SNF VBP Program for the FY 2028 Program year.

This communication does not affect the current FY 2026 SNF VBP Program scoring and incentive payments, nor does it affect prior FYs. SNFs do not need to take any action at this time or in the future.

The technical measure specifications utilizing Section GG items are described in more detail in the 2025 Nursing Home Compare Claims-Based Quality Measure Technical Specifications, available within the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Quality Measures (QM) User's Manual v17.0 .zip file package located on the CMS website.

Please contact the SNF VBP Program Help Desk at SNFVBPquestions@cms.hhs.gov with any questions.