Version v1.0

How grades are calculated

The score formula

score = 0.35 × inspections + 0.25 × staffing + 0.2 × quality + 0.2 × safety

The score ranges from 0 to 100 and is then mapped to a letter grade.

Component inputs

  • Inspections: CMS health-inspection star rating. 5★ = 100, 4★ = 80, 3★ = 60, 2★ = 40, 1★ = 20.
  • Staffing: CMS staffing star rating, same star-to-score mapping.
  • Quality: CMS quality-measures star rating, same star-to-score mapping.
  • Safety: Starts at 100 and applies deductions from recent deficiencies and complaints.

Safety deductions

  • 15 per actual-harm deficiency (G/H/I) in the last 3 years.
  • 30 per immediate-jeopardy deficiency (J/K/L) in the last 3 years.
  • 5 per minor deficiency (D/E/F), capped at −40.
  • 3 per complaint in the last 1 year(s), capped at −15.
  • Hard cap: any immediate-jeopardy deficiency in the last 2 years caps the final grade at D.

Letter-grade bands

A
90+ points
B
80+ points
C
70+ points
D
60+ points
F
0–59.9 points

Missing CMS star ratings are treated as zero for that component, which lowers the score. This is conservative: we do not invent or interpolate data. The federal CMS Five-Star ratings are inputs to our score, not the same as the letter grade.