News

Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final Medicare payment rule for SNFs for the year that begins Oct. 1.

Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) released a discussion draft about hospice reform on June 13 titled, “The Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (CARE) Act of 2024.” The Hospice CARE Act is in draft form but would transform and make the biggest changes to the Medicare Hospice Benefit since the benefit’s inception in 1982.

LeadingAge supports HUD’s efforts to expand housing access in practical, consistent ways.

Expand housing access in practical, consistent ways, LeadingAge told the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a June 10 comment letter.

Findings in a May 2024 report from the TIAA Institute, a division of insurance and annuities provider TIAA, reveals the values and priorities of health care sector workers and also emphasizes the importance of understanding benefits as part of an overall compensation package and the needs of various worker demographics.

On May 10, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) led a letter to Senate Appropriations HUD Subcommittee Chair Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Ranking Member Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) urging strong funding in fiscal year 2025 for affordable housing programs serving older adults and persons with disabilities.

A new resource is available to LeadingAge Minnesota members for use with their Board of Directors describing the staffing mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and includes strategic questions for their discussion.

On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division announced a final overtime rule which will take effect on July 1, 2024, with updates starting on January 1, 2025.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) explained in a February 2024 MLN Matters article that hospices and skilled nursing facilities must act now to report their designated administrators and designated medical directors as “managing employees,” if they haven’t already done so.

The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) revised its definition of "up to date" for COVID-19 vaccine reporting in long-term care (LTC) facilities.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated respiratory virus recommendations for the public.

A federal judge has vacated the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) “joint employer” rule (the “2024 Rule”), which would have revised the employee-independent contractor test analysis used to classify a worker as an employee or an independent contractor that was set to be effective today, Monday, March 11. 

LeadingAge, along with its coalition partners on Medicare Advantage (MA), asked CMS to clarify that MA plans must follow Medicare regulations related to the Jimmo Settlement Agreement (2013) when making coverage determinations.

Argentum, our national partner, will host a complimentary webinar, " Telling The True Story of Assisted Living and Maintaining State Regulation, " on Friday, Feb. 9, from 11 a.m. to noon CT. All LeadingAge Minnesota members are invited to attend.

Our national partner, LeadingAge, worked with Global Refuge to create a members-only resource with recommendations for hiring, training, and building inclusive workplaces for refugees.

Today, the US Senate Special Committee on Aging convened for an informational hearing on understanding assisted living options for Americans.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and her leadership team will highlight CMS’ key 2023 accomplishments and look ahead to how our 2024 priorities will advance the agency’s strategic plan during their first national stakeholder call on Jan. 23.

The US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule on Jan. 9 that revised the federal framework for determining whether a worker is classified as an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

U.S. Representatives Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Bryan Steil (R-WI), and Ann Kuster (D-NH) introduced H.R. 6835, the Care Across Generations Act.

In a letter sent to members of Congress and an opinion piece published in The Hill (Fix Needed Now: America’s Long-Term Care Financing System is Broken), LeadingAge president and CEO Katie Smith Sloan urges lawmakers to be “courageous” and “offer bold solutions” to address the crisis millions of older adults and families are navigating now as they struggle to access and pay for long-term care.

Argentum, LeadingAge Minnesota's national partner for assisted living providers, has shared that a national publication based in Washington, DC, plans to report on several assisted living topics.