News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has officially posted a draft version of the new MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17 Oct. 1, 2019 that will help Skilled Nursing Facilities with transitioning to the Patient-Drive Payment Model.  

The 2019 Adult Day Services Financial Indicators Study has been launched, and we strongly encourage adult day members to participate. The study, now in its ninth year, offers Adult Day Services members the opportunity to benchmark their individual centers to the rest of the field and determine their financial health and performance.  

With the need to provide qualified and competent staff in Skilled Nursing Facilities, it may be challenging for a setting to find useable resources and tools to determine competency. LeadingAge excited to announce that the Staff Competency Toolkit© is now available to members.

More than 4,300 older adults who had found solace and affordability in their HUD-assisted homes will now wonder about the stability of their housing as the result of a new proposed rule that would end the practice of having “mixed status” families in federally assisted housing.   

LeadingAge has shared a draft comment letter on the recently issued proposed rule to change the salary threshold for overtime eligibility that would raise the salary level for exemption from the minimum wage and overtime rules.  

LeadingAge recently released guidance for coding Risk for Pressure Ulcers in section M0100 and M0150 of the MDS, which includes an overview of each section, key definitions, an overview of risk factors and steps for assessment.  

The updated skilled nursing facility Provider Preview Reports from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are available for review. Members have until May 30 to review their performance data prior to it being displayed on the Nursing Home Compare site in July. 

The U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department is proposing changes to the national physical inspection process. Because HUD’s in-person listening sessions on this topic filled so quickly, D. J. Lavoy, Director of the Office of the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC), has agreed to provide a special opportunity for LeadingAge members.  

The next submission deadline for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) is fast approaching. MDS data for Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2018 must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on May 15.  

Changes are coming to care centers regarding hazardous medications disposals. To help your organization be ready and compliant, make plans now to participate in a Hazardous Medications – Delivery to Disposal webinar on May 16 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. 

The deadline for submission of Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) data for the reporting period Jan. 1–March 31 is May 15. Timely and accurate submission of PBJ data is critical, because CMS uses the data to calculate staffing measures in Nursing Home Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System. The following rules apply: 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) late last week issued a Proposed Rule that provides details about the upcoming implementation of the new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) that will take effect on Oct. 1, 2019. CMS will follow up with a final rule on the Oct. 1 rates around Aug. 1.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator vowed this week to “push beyond the status quo” in its oversight of nursing homes. “[W’e’re] continuously looking for ways to improve our approach to nursing home safety and quality. We must never be complacent – we should always push ahead to continuously improve our efforts,” CMS Administrator Seem Verma wrote in a wide-ranging blog post published April 15.  

The Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act, which provides a six-month extension for the Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) spousal impoverishment protections, has passed both bodies of Congress and now heads to the White House where it is expected to be signed into law. 

U.S. Representative Pete Stauber (R-MN) is co-sponsoring legislation to eliminate the rigid provisions of the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training lock-out and grant the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) greater flexibility in reinstating provider CNA training programs.  

A new toolkit from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides an inside look on how Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) select skilled nursing partners. The report indicates preferred partners are those that consistently provide high-quality care, dedicate staffers to care coordination and demonstrate a willingness to reform service delivery. 

The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) review and correct reports are now available. The reports have been enhanced to include the following features: 

The Administration for Community Living leads our nation’s observance of Older Americans Month each May. The 2019 theme, Connect, Create, Contribute, encourages older adults and their communities to: 

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced changes to Nursing Home Compare and the Five Star Rating system that include several changes to the Quality Measure (QM) Domain. Changes to the performance thresholds and methodology in the QM Domain may result in many nursing homes experiencing a decline in their ratings until further improvements are put in place within their organizations. Key QM Domain changes include: 

Responding to the Congressional Telehealth Caucus's request for information, LeadingAge recommended several changes in Medicare policy to expand access to telehealth services and remote monitoring, improve patient outcomes, and control health care costs.