Medicare and Medicaid Nursing Facility Quality Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the federal survey and certification process for skilled nursing facilities.
Revises requirements for nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs.
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disapprove such programs offered by a facility.
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) waive certain requirements for the skilled nursing survey and certification process in order to test and implement innovative alternatives to the otherwise applicable survey process; and (2) continue payments for up to one year, in certain circumstances, pending remediation, to a nursing facility that no longer meets the specified requirements.
Requires each state to establish an informal and independent dispute resolution process to allow facilities to settle disputes involving compliance with nursing facility requirements.
Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for operators with histories of good compliance to acquire facilities with poor compliance histories.
Permits nursing facilities to appeal deficiency determinations.
Requires the State to establish a process for joint training and education of surveyors and providers at least annually and periodically as changes to regulations, guidelines, and policy governing nursing facility operations are implemented and used in surveys of participating facilities.
Directs the Secretary to require the state to establish a process for facility-based training for new surveyors.