Veterans Affairs Department Has Not Reviewed Performance Of Its Long-Term Care Facility Contractors

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) did not conduct regular performance reviews of its contractors that inspected VA long-term care facilities during contract year 2018. Although the contractors conducted inspections and submitted deficiency reports, because the VA did not conduct performance reviews, the VA does not know whether, or to what extent, the contractors are effectively assessing facility compliance with quality standards. As a result, the VA has been unable to hold the contractors accountable for their inspections. Additionally, the VA tracks problems discovered by the inspectors differently than the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS . . .