Member Resources

• Senators Warren and Wyden Launch Probe Into UnitedHealth Group • Reminder: Certified Medication Aide Regulations Public Hearing Monday August 11th

• Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Federal DCC-Q Audit • MassHealth Training Webinar on New Family Assistance Pathway for Nursing Facilities • Congressman Seth Moulton Briefs Residents of Alliance Health at Rosewood

The 2026 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program application cycle is now open. Participating in the Quality Award Program offers organizations valuable external perspectives, actionable feedback, stronger team collaboration, increased resilience, and improved performance – all leading to better care and quality of life for residents.

On July 31, 2025, MassHealth issued a bulletin, Nursing Facility 194, updating the requirements for the MDS 3.0 Assessments for Nursing Facility Fee for Service Payments effective July 1, 2025. This bulletin describes how MDS assessments will be used to determine payment; the responsibilities of nursing facilities when completing and submitting assessments; and the MDS audit process.

On July 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted the 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System. It includes updates to the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) program which begins on January 1, 2026. Mass Senior Care will be holding a webinar on Understanding the New Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) payment program on Tuesday, September 23 to help nursing facilities understand and prepare for the impacts of the TEAM program’s implementation.

On August 5, 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue reported to the Legislature that preliminary revenue collections for July totaled $2.69 billion; $7 million or 0.3% more than actual collections in July 2024. July is the first month of the new fiscal year, and the Department of Revenue notes that these results may not necessarily be representative of the trend for the entire year.

On August 5, 2025, Governor Healey signed into law a supplemental appropriations bill that includes $259 million to cover unfunded program costs for fiscal year 2025. The supplemental budget includes a provision with respect to last year’s FY 2025 rest home rates that requires EOHHS to ensure that FY2025 rates total $4 million more than rates in effect as of January 1, 2024.

The Foundation is accepting applications for its 2025 awards up until this afternoon, Friday, August 8.

• Massachusetts AG Campbell Reaches $6 Million Settlement • CMS Adopts Updates to TEAM Program Payment Model

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CLA is offering a complimentary webinar on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 from 1pm to 2pm Central Time on the ways in which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s tax and Medicaid policy changes will impact the health care industry.

Dr. Kap Sum Foong at Tufts Medical Center is leading a research study focusing on understanding perspectives related to penicillin allergies in the long-term care setting. Several opportunities are available for nursing facilities to share their thoughts as part of the study.

In accordance with Governor Healey’s statewide Fire and Life Safety Initiative, ALRs must comply no later than August 15, 2025, with completing the Fire Safety Assessment Survey and submission of their Emergency Preparedness Plan. The requirement for Resident and Family Notification of Safety Protocols should have been completed by July 26, 2025.

On July 30, 2025, CMS issued revisions to QSO 25-23-ALL Guidance for the Expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). The revisions include the suspension of focused infection control surveys as part of the standard survey process.

Due to the Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) quarterly submission deadline on August 14, 2025, the iQIES Service Center is anticipating a significant increase in the volume of calls and emails.

The Transitions from Acute Care to Post-Acute Care (TACPAC) Task Force was established under Section 25 of Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2024, the LTC Reform Law, to study and propose recommendations to address acute care hospital throughput challenges and the impact of persistent delays in discharging patients from acute to post-acute care settings. On July 31, The Task Force concluded its work with the submission of its report to the Legislature.

Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal earlier this week joined nursing facility residents at Life Care Center of Wilbraham, a MSCA member facility, to mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid.

On July 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted the final rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2026.

• MassHealth Issues Bulletin 194 • Final TACPAC Report Submitted to Legislature • Suspension of Focused Infection Control Surveys • REMINDER: ALR Fire and Life Safety Review Initiative

• REMINDER: DCC-Q Final Filing is Due July 31, 2025 • Mass Senior Care Foundation Scholarship – Deadline is August 8, 2025 • Register for Upcoming TEAMS Webinar on September 23, 2025

As a reminder, effective January 1, 2025, all long-term care facilities must comply with 105 CMR 721.000 – Standards for Prescription Format and Security in Massachusetts.

CMS is issuing notifications to facilities that were determined to be out of compliance with the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) requirements for CY 2024, which will affect their FY 2026 Annual Payment Update (APU).

Don't Miss Out! The Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2025 awards. Please note that the application and all required components must be submitted online at the same time and received by Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, August 8, 2025.

This week, Veterans from several Mass Senior Care member facilities were honored with the unforgettable experience of flight in a restored WWII-era open-cockpit biplane, courtesy of the nonprofit organization Dream Flights, with support from Mass Senior Care and Alliance Health & Human Services.

• Voluntary Recall of Bicillin® L-A • Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged at 4.8%

Governor Healey Announces Immediate Measures to Enhance Safety in Assisted Living Residences

• Boston Globe Editorial on One Big Beautiful Bill Act • EOHHS Nursing Facility User Fee Regulation Hearing • REMINDER: ePrescribing Requirements • Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting • CMS Announces Medicare Revalidation Deadline Extension

The CMS security team has authorized an increase of the iQIES system timeout to 30 minutes. Previously, users would be automatically logged out of the system after 15 minutes of inactivity. This change is now in effect.

The SNF Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on the compare tool on Medicare.gov and the Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the October 2025 release.

Nursing facilities are reminded to remain diligent in their infection control practices to limit the spread of COVID-19 to residents and staff. At the expiration of the PHE, DPH released guidance on Organizational Policies and Procedures for Mitigating Respiratory Illness. Nursing facilities must continue to identify and monitor respiratory illness metrics to indicate when there are increased levels which may necessitate implementing these infection control measures. One possible metric is the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Wastewater COVID-19 Tracking which measures the SARS-CoV2 levels.

The Department of Public Health is holding a public hearing and comment period on proposed amendments to the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) regulation to increase the fee charged to licensed health care facilities for architectural plan review of facility construction documents for new construction and renovations to existing facilities from $8.25 to $10.50 per $1,000 of construction costs. The public hearing will be held on July 28, 2025 at 1pm.

AHCA has informed MSCA that it has received notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that the agency is extending the deadline for the mandatory SNF provider enrollment off-cycle revalidation from August 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026. CMS will be issuing formal public notice in the coming days on this extension.

On July 14, 2025, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) issued Administrative Bulletin 25-16 updating the fees effective July 1, 2025 for fiscal year 2026. This change implements the new state budget requirement that EOHHS increase the nursing facility provider tax to the maximum amount under federal law, which totals 6% of total annual nursing facility revenue.

Governor Maura Healey has appointed Dr. Kiame Mahaniah as Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS).

Mass Senior Care would like to extend an invitation to Veterans to join Alliance Health and other member communities to participate in Dream Flights. This incredible program honors Veterans by giving them the chance to fly in a restored World War II-era biplane.

The 2026 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program application cycle is now open! Participating in the Quality Award Program offers organizations valuable external perspectives, actionable feedback, stronger team collaboration, increased resilience, and improved performance – all leading to better care and quality of life for residents.

• CMS to Extend Mandatory SNF Provider Enrollment Revalidation Deadline to January 1, 2026 • DPH Proposed Amendment to Health Care Facility Architectural Plan Review Fee • 2026 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Awards • SNF Provider Preview Reports – Now Available

• Important Update: TPS, CHNV Parole, and Work Authorization Reverification • Proposed Regulations for Certified Medication Aides Open for Public Comment • Governor Healey Appoints Dr. Kiame Mahaniah as EOHHS Secretary • PFML Reminders and Updates for Employers

EOHHS Issues Nursing Facility User Fee Administrative Bulletin: July 1, 2025 Fees

• Impact of One Big Beautiful Bill • Senior Whole Health to Implement a Prior Authorization Procedure for MassHealth NF Rate Add Ons • CMS Publishes Updates to PBJ Manual and FAQs

• REMINDER: August 1 Mandatory SNF Medicare Provider Enrollment Revalidation • EOHHS Opens DCC-Q Portal for Data Entry: Deadline July 31

A federal judge has blocked the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) attempt to shorten Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. On July 1, 2025, District Court Judge Brian M. Cogan ruled that DHS’s February 2025 order – which would have moved up the expiration date from February 3, 2026 to August 3, 2025 – violated the Administrative Procedure Act. As a result, the partial vacatur has been halted, and at this time, no appeal has been filed.

On July 14, 2025, the CMS will release the new iQIES Electronic Plan of Correction (ePOC) system functionality to participating Nursing Homes and State Agencies. Once ePOC functionality is enabled in iQIES, the current ePOC system will be disabled.

In addition to the new $102 million in new Medicaid nursing facility funding contained in the FY2026 budget signed into law by Governor Healey, the new state budget requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to increase the nursing facility provider tax to the maximum amount under existing federal law, which totals 6% of total annual nursing facility revenue.

On July 4, 2025, Governor Healey signed into law the FY 2026 budget totaling $61 billion, which includes $102 million in new Medicaid nursing facility funding, and also includes a provision to increase the nursing facility provider tax to the maximum amount under existing federal law.