U.S. health officials under the Trump administration are considering changes to federal COVID-19 reporting requirements for nursing homes, as the government shifts from pandemic-era surveillance toward broader respiratory-disease monitoring.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes were required to report COVID-19 cases and other information through the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). These requirements were introduced because nursing-home residents faced particularly high risks from the virus.
Some COVID-19 reporting requirements expired at the end of 2024. Beginning in 2025, nursing homes were required to report information on COVID-19, influenza and RSV under updated federal requirements.
More recently, federal officials have also moved to remove certain COVID-19 vaccination reporting measures from nursing-home quality programs. CMS says the changes reflect evolving COVID-19 guidance and the transition of COVID-19 from a pandemic emergency toward an endemic disease.
The changes have raised questions about whether reducing mandatory reporting could make it harder for public-health agencies to monitor outbreaks among older adults. A 2024 HHS Inspector General report found that nursing-home COVID-19 reporting through NHSN had been important for monitoring the pandemic, although the system also faced data-quality and technical challenges.
In short: the Trump administration is moving away from some COVID-specific nursing-home reporting requirements, while federal surveillance continues to include broader respiratory illnesses. The debate centers on reducing regulatory burdens while maintaining enough information to protect nursing-home residents.
