Data Sources

Where Our Data Comes From

CareGrader grades are calculated entirely from official government data published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).


Official CMS Data

All data comes directly from CMS Medicare datasets via their public SODA API.

Monthly Updates

We re-ingest and recompute all grades monthly when CMS publishes new data.

No Marketing Data

We never use facility-provided marketing materials, paid placements, or self-reported data.


CMS Datasets Used

Provider Information

Basic facility information including name, address, certification status, bed count, and CMS star ratings for all Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes.

Dataset ID: 4pq5-n9py · ~15,000+ records

Health Deficiencies

Detailed results from health inspection surveys including F-tag codes, scope, severity, and correction dates. Covers the three most recent survey cycles.

Dataset ID: r5ix-sfxw · ~300,000+ records

Penalties

Enforcement actions including monetary fines (per-instance and per-day), payment denials, state monitoring, and temporary management orders.

Dataset ID: g6vv-u9sr · ~50,000+ records

Quality Measures

Clinical quality metrics for long-stay and short-stay residents including falls, infections, pressure ulcers, restraint use, and rehospitalization rates.

Dataset ID: djen-97ju · ~200,000+ records

Survey Summary

Aggregate survey results per facility including inspection dates, number of health and fire safety deficiencies, and survey cycle information.

Dataset ID: tbry-pc2c · ~15,000+ records

State Averages

State-level aggregate statistics for benchmarking including average ratings, staffing levels, and quality measure performance.

Dataset ID: xcdc-v8bm · ~50+ records


How We Turn Data Into Grades

Our grading algorithm combines these datasets into a single A-F grade using weighted scoring across health inspections, staffing, quality measures, and penalties.

Read our full methodology →