Nursing Home Patient Protection and Standards Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require testing programs in skilled nursing facility (SNF) survey and certification techniques to be sufficiently rigorous to ensure that surveyors are adequately prepared to survey and certify SNFs in a consistent and accurate manner.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish requirements: (1) for the qualification and compensation of members of a survey team; and (2) that a state employs an adequate number of individuals as members of survey teams to ensure adequate oversight of SNFs. Requires the Secretary, in addition to the training and testing program, to require that state and federal surveyors regularly complete an adequate number of continuing education courses meeting certain requirements for content and rigor of material.
Requires covered individuals to report to the Secretary instances where surveys fail to report or under report an issue in a facility that could impact the safety or quality of care of its residents. Adds whistleblower protections for such individuals.
Adds penalties for inappropriately influencing a surveyor.
Requires the Secretary to establish an advisory committee on surveys.
Requires survey team supervisors to review each conducted survey to ensure that any identified issues affecting quality of care are consistently and appropriately described and rated.