More than 90% of U.S. nursing homes surveyed were cited for violating federal care standards in each of the past three years, according to a new government report. For-profit facilities, which are the most common type of nursing home, had a higher percentage of violations, compared to other nursing homes: about 94 percent of the for-profit homes surveyed generated a citation, compared to 91 percent for government nursing homes and 88 percent for non-profits, said the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services.

The most common violations, cited for 28 to 36 percent of nursing homes, centered on quality of care, a category related to lack of services necessary for residents’ mental and physical well-being, improper storage and distribution of food (43 percent of homes were cited for problems with dietary services), lack of the appropriate treatment to prevent and treat pressure sores and urinary tract infections. Other common deficiencies included housekeeping and maintenance problems, accident hazards.

The percentage of nursing homes surveyed with deficiencies ranged from 76 percent in Rhode Island to 100 percent in Alaska, the District of Columbia, Idaho and Wyoming.

About 1.5 million people live in 16,000 nursing facilities in the U.S. To be reimbursed by Medicare, which is a US government administered social insurance program, which provides health care coverage for the poor and for people over 65 years old, the nursing homes must be certified as meeting certain federal requirements.

The homes are typically inspected annually and must meet federal standards to participate in Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare pays for the treatment received by the patient, who can go any hospital or doctor that agrees to Medicare’s activity.

The findings of the government report were included Monday in a memorandum to Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The report follows the analysis released by Avalere Health LLC, a Washington, D.C., consulting company that analyzed data from Medicare, which says that premiums the average premium will reach $37 a month for all standalone drug plans, up from $30 in 2008. Data from Medicare, which is partly financed by payroll taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, shows that approximately $9 billion a year are paid for durable medical equipment, such as oxygen tent, iron lungs, hospital beds and wheelchairs. The costs supported by beneficiaries cover only one-third of the Medicare’s cost, while the government pays for the rest. Federal programs pay for more than two-thirds of their residents, at a cost of more than $75 billion a year.

The federal government financially supports the drug plans, which are offered by private insurance companies. These companies will start advertising their plans at the beginning of October. Kerry Weems, acting director of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said beneficiaries should search the market for a plan that fits them in order to avoid “significant premium increases or changes.” Medicare participants can begin enrolling in drug coverage for next year from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31.