The stars are out in California as of January 1st and they aren’t the celebrity kind.  California is the first state in the US to mandate the display of its Five Star ratings for over 1200 facilities across the Golden State effective January 1, 2011.  The ratings, published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have drawn wide spread criticism and dispute amongst providers about the accuracy and effectiveness of the rating system.  Besides concerns expressed by long term care professionals in California, professionals in other states have expressed concern that their local state legislatures may follow the lead of California and make the disclosure mandatory.

Visit the California Health Facilities Consumer Information System (HFCIS) website