News

Congress returned from recess on Sept. 9 with a long to-do list, which LeadingAge national has unpacked to help you stay up-to-date on key issues affecting our field.   

NTAs. You’re hearing a lot about them as part of the new Payment-Drive Payment Model that goes into effect Oct. 1. What are NTAs? Non-therapy ancillaries (NTAs) are a long list of diagnostic categories and clinical support services needed to care for residents in a skilled nursing facility that may be more medically complex or demonstrate a higher acuity. Under PDPM, 50 conditions and extensive services are considered for NTA classification.  

As we have earlier reported, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule that would lighten some existing regulatory burdens for nursing facilities and delay implementation of certain Phase 3 requirements. Recently some LeadingAge MN members have asked whether the proposed rule – if it becomes final – would delay all Phase 3 requirements, and the answer is no. 

LeadingAge will submit comments to a new proposed rule from the U.S Housing & Urban Affairs Department (HUD) that would make drastic changes to the current process for asserting Disparate Impact.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) last week posted the FINAL version (V3.00.1) of the MDS 3.0 Data Specifications for Skilled Nursing Facilities, which take effect Oct. 1. They also released the file of the allowable ICD codes in item I0020B of the MDS.   

The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) notified Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) on Aug. 22 that there was a calculation error in the FY2016 baseline period performance data that excluded certain SNF stays erroneously. CMS will be issuing corrected FY2020 Performance Score Reports no later than Aug. 31. 

The National Council on Aging has denounced a new inadmissibility rule that could force immigrant seniors to choose between paying for long-term care support and losing their immigration status.  

In last week’s Advantage, we featured a story on new guidance for heightened scrutiny review of newly-constructed presumptively institutional settings under the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Settings rule. This week we are sharing additional detail from the Bulletin on how new construction settings required to undergo heightened scrutiny can qualify for Medicaid (waiver) reimbursement and providing examples of reimbursement pathways for new construction settings.  

The release of guidance implementing Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) for PRAC, expected earlier this spring or summer, is still delayed and may not be issued until early fall.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued additional updates to the State Operations Manual Appendix Q, including guidance to surveyors on citing immediate jeopardy.  

As we reported earlier this summer, Livanta replaced KEPRO as the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care (BFCC) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Minnesota effective June 8, 2019. The purpose of the BFCC-QIO is to conduct quality of care reviews, beneficiary complaint reviews, and discharge and termination of service appeals in various Medicare provider settings. Livanta requires a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) from providers.  To complete a new MOA and read frequently asked questions (FAQs), click here. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will share information on fiscal year 2020 skilled nursing facility payment policies during a Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)/Long Term Care Open Door Forum this Thursday, Aug. 8, at 1 p.m.  

As the numbers of veterans who will need nursing home care is anticipated to increase by 16% between 2017 and 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is calling for stricter oversight of their care – particularly in state veterans’ homes.  

The White House and Congress reached a deal to raise the federal budget caps for fiscal years 2020 and 2021.  

Do you understand the Value-Based Purchasing Performance Score Card? Are you interested in results from payment year one? Join the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for a call on Tuesday, Aug. 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. for a high-level summary of the program and a review of the FY2019 program year.   

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided clarifications to questions about the heightened scrutiny process for newly-constructed presumptively institutional settings. The information can be found in the Informational Bulletin issued last week. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that property owners/agents and Public Housing Authorities across the country can pre-register one or more of their properties to be considered for selection in the demonstration to develop and test a new format for conducting the physical inspection of HUD-subsidized properties. 

LeadingAge has been informed by HUD officials that 202 PRAC funding availability is very tight right now and will remain so for the remainder of FY19.  

LeadingAge is supporting a bill that would nearly double the number of employment visas granted annually and increase access to qualified health care workers. 

A proposed rule announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 23 would change eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and lower the number of older adults eligible for SNAP benefits.