News

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is accepting applications for $200 million in funding through the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. 

The federal COVID-19 relief bill known as the CARES Act includes benefits that go beyond payments to individuals and financial assistance to health care providers.  One of the lesser known benefits is a temporary suspension of interest accrual and monthly payments on some student loans. 

LeadingAge continues to urge various program offices within HUD, and the agency at large, to provide further support and guidance for housing providers serving older adults during this health and economic emergency.  

HUD housing providers are encouraged to join the LeadingAge daily COVID-19 call on April 16 that will feature a specific update from the HUD Multifamily Housing Office of Asset Management and Portfolio Oversight.  

HUD-assisted housing communities across the country continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19, including by helping residents lower their rent contributions if they have lost income due to the crisis. In an updated guidance document from April 2, HUD clarified options that housing property staff have for completing income recertifications as residents face economic challenges during COVID-19.  

While the Families First Corona Response Act (FFCRA) requires private employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid leave and paid expanded FMLA leave to employees unable to work or telework for several specific COVID-19 reasons, it allows employers to exclude “health care providers” from receiving the paid leave and paid expanded FMLA leave. 

About $350 billion of the $2 trillion economic stimulus package signed into law last week are directed to provide loans to small businesses, with the opportunity for loan recipients to receive forgiveness and not have to repay the amount borrowed. On April 3, smaller 501c(3) organizations will be able to access these funds. This article provides a summary of the provisions and guidance for borrowers and lenders. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is delaying the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 v1.18.1 release, which had been scheduled for Oct. 1, 2020, in response to stakeholder concerns. 

As of March 18, HUD has restarted routine processing and approval of Section 202 PRAC rent adjustments to increase Reserve for Replacement deposits. There have been several updates to field office procedures for reviewing Capital Needs Assessments (CNAs) and determining how capital needs should be reflected in annual PRAC project operating rents.   

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it is implementing exceptions and extensions for upcoming measure reporting and data submission deadlines for several quality reporting programs.  

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a National Nursing Home Initiative that will coordinate and enhance civil and criminal efforts to pursue nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to their residents. 

There are strong bipartisan concerns from federal lawmakers about the proposed federal rule that could eliminate up to $50 billion from the Medicaid program annually and have serious implications on aging services providers’ supplemental payments.   

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule on Feb. 20 that would revise requirements for Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR). While many of the changes seek to clarify or reinforce requirements already in statute, this overhaul could have significant implications for nursing homes.  

The Community Care Networks (CCNs) from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are now active. CCNs replace the Veterans Choice Program and are designed to expand the provider network and improve customer service for veterans and timeliness of payments for providers. Along with Veterans Care Agreements, the CCNs are the main vehicle through which VA pays non-VA providers.  

Yes. You read that correctly. The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) is seeking a 15% cut to its own funding in fiscal year 2021 that will have a detrimental impact on programs that serve older adults. 

The U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department (HUD) has released the first of a series of short videos on RAD for PRAC.  

We delved deeper into the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget from the Trump Administration and discovered a $1 trillion spending cut that could impact aging services and the people you serve. While there is a lack of detail on where these cuts would come from and the budget is likely dead on arrival, it provides perspective on the Administration's vision for Medicaid that could come into play as part of the November election.  

President Donald Trump this week released A Budget for America’s Future, which includes $4 trillion in mandatory and discretionary budget cuts in FY 2021 that would result in significant reductions to federal health care spending, including Medicare and Medicaid and other entitlement programs.  

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a state Medicaid director's letter on Jan. 30 outlining how states can apply for Medicaid block grant waivers. We oppose Medicaid block grants and similar initiatives that would limit Medicaid funding, including per capita caps. 

As concerns arise with the emerging 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) threat, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is encouraging all healthcare settings to carefully review information provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).