E-News Updates

The Foundation is accepting applications for its 2026 awards. Please note that the application and all required components must be submitted online and received by Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, July 17, 2026.

Please contact your State Representative and State Senator today to urge them to ask the FY 2027 Budget Conference Committee to support an $82 million earmark for quality nursing facility funding in Medicaid line item 4000-0641.

On June 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) released two new reports examining Medicare Advantage (MA) prior authorization practices for post-acute care services. The reports raise concerns about the frequency with which some MA plans initially deny access to skilled nursing facility (SNF) care and other post-acute services.

The next MOLST to POLST quarterly update is scheduled for June 23, 2026 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm.

CMS has announced that the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system will transition to iQIES on August 17, 2026. Beginning on that date, all PBJ staffing data must be submitted through iQIES.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) Drug Control Program will no longer accept paper Drug Incident Reports (DIRs). As required by 105 CMR 700.008, all licensed healthcare facilities must report drug discrepancies and losses within 24 hours of discovery.

As respiratory illness season winds down, it is important for nursing facilities to continue to be diligent in their infection control practices to limit the spread of respiratory illness to residents and staff. Nursing facilities must comply with the DPH’s guidance on Organizational Policies and Procedures for Mitigating Respiratory Illness and continue to identify and monitor respiratory illness metrics to indicate when there are increased levels which may necessitate implementing additional infection control measures.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued guidance regarding Form I-9 completion for individuals with Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

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