Member Resources

• EOHHS Provides OTP Rate Add-On for Delivery of Medications to NFs • Action Needed: MassHealth Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Provider Directory • Massachusetts DPH Announces New LGBTQIA+ Training Initiative

Member Update: Conference Committee Files FY2026 Budget Recommendation

2025 Unit Manager Training Program Tuesdays in September: 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30 2 In-Person Sessions and 2 Virtual Sessions: September 9, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, In-Person, Whitney Place at Medway September 16, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, Virtual September 23, 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, Virtual September 30, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM, In-Person, The Willows at Westborough Click Here to Register Register for Zimmet Healthcare’s Annual Conference! The Zimmet Healthcare Annual Conference is a premier event for professionals

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. Nursing Home providers that currently utilize ePOC will need to request the Provider ePOC Administrator role in iQIES after you sign up for HCQIS Access Roles & Profile (HARP) access.

Earlier this year, OSHA issued a memorandum announcing an immediate suspension, or “stay,” of its COVID-19 recordkeeping and reporting requirements under 29 CFR 1910.502. This change, effective until further notice, relieves nursing homes, assisted living communities, hospitals, and other health care settings from maintaining a dedicated COVID-19 log or reporting COVID-19 fatalities and hospitalizations as previously required.

On June 26, 2025, the Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a clinical advisory in response to the rising number of invasive Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections and reported clusters in long-term care facilities across the Commonwealth.

Effective May 1, 2025, members eligible for Family Assistance who have a qualifying hospitalization and require nursing facility level of care may be eligible to receive the same level of benefits as MassHealth Standard or CommonHealth through the Family Assistance Long Term Services and Supports Pathway (FA LTSS Pathway).

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has filed an Emergency Adoption to 101 CMR 346.00: Rates for Certain Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders Programs for the purpose of improving access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), including methadone, for nursing facility residents with substance use disorders. It encourages Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to deliver medications directly to nursing facilities where facility staff can administer them to residents, reducing the need for daily transportation.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association. Our members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and we are grateful for their support.

The Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation’s annual Scholarship Program assists long term care staff in meeting their personal and professional goals through furthering their education. Since 1985, the Foundation has awarded nearly $3 million dollars in scholarships to more than 1,600 deserving long term care staff, known as “Foundation Scholars.” The annual program, funded through the generosity of long term care providers and related organizations, supports the Foundation's mission to promote the development of a skilled and committed workforce. The Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2025 awards.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) has announced the 2025 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award recipients. MSCA is proud to recognize four member facilities that have earned this achievement.

• Invasive Group A Streptococcus Infections • MassHealth Issues Family Assistance Pathways NF Bulletin • MassHealth Provider Online Service Center Pre-login and Post-login Page Refresh • ePOC Transition to iQIES • OSHA Suspension of COVID-19 Record Keeping and Reporting • Updated MassHealth Provider Service Center Hours

• Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting • 2025 Scholarship Application Now Available

• Nursing Home Compare and Five Star Update • 2567s and Plan of Correction • CMS Announces Launch of Fraud Defense Operations Center

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CMS recently posted an updated version of the draft Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Item Sets v1.20.1v3 and draft Item Matrix v1.20.1v3. These are located in the Downloads section on CMS’ Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual page.

CMS has posted the updated Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual (SOM) as outlined in QSO-25-14-NH.

The June 2025 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program are now available to download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES).

On June 18, 2025, CMS released QSO-25-19-ALL Release of CMS-2567: Statement of Deficiencies and Plan of Correction. CMS is updating their practice to align with the Nursing Home CMS-2567 process already in regulation. The Nursing Home CMS-2567 regulation allows the 2567 to be released within 14 days of transmission to the facility. This update does not change the current process for nursing homes.

On June 18, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released QSO-25-20-NH Updates to Nursing Home Compare. In the memo, CMS notes several changes to how items are displayed on the website related to performance data for nursing home chains, standard survey cycles for the inspection rating, updated long-stay antipsychotic measures, and removal of the COVID-19 vaccine measures.

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.

On June 17, 2025, CMS announced that it is making permanent a pilot program to identify Medicare billing fraud through its newly created Fraud Defense Operations Center (FDOC).

On June 9th and 10th, Mass Senior Care members and staff traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living’s (AHCA/NCAL) Congressional Briefing. In meetings with members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, MSCA members discussed the vital importance of Medicaid funding to ensure access to quality nursing facility care and our grave concerns about any proposed cuts to the program.

Mass Senior Care facility members gathered earlier this week for the two-day MSCA Leadership Conference, When Caring Gets Complicated: Strategies for Difficult Situations, at the Beauport Hotel in Gloucester. The Conference addressed the impact that challenging or non-compliant residents and family members can have on key operational areas, including regulatory compliance (deficiencies and complaints), financial stability (accounts receivable and bad debt growth), and workforce challenges (staff satisfaction, retention, and turnover).

• Supreme Court Allows Federal Government to Proceed with Changes to CHNV Humanitarian Parole Program • Confirmed Measles Case in Boston

• EOHHS Issues Administrative Bulletin Updating Allowable Items to be Included in DCC-Q Calculation • Vaccine Access

• President Trump Issues Full or Partial Travel Ban on 19 Countries • President Trump Issues Memorandum Targeting State Directed Payments • SNF VBP Program Reports • Updated Appendix PP Now Available • Updated Draft MDS 3.0 Item Sets Now Available • MassCyberCenter & CISCO Talos 2024 Year in Review Webinar

• Clinical Advisory on Botulism • ePOC Transition to iQIES • Prior Authorization for Post-Acute Care Admission

Join AHCA/NCAL in Las Vegas, NV from October 19-22, 2025 for their annual Convention & Expo! Delivering Solutions 25 emphasizes AHCA/NCAL’s commitment to improving the quality of life for residents in long term care and assisted living facilities.

The Zimmet Healthcare Annual Conference is a premier event for professionals in the skilled nursing and post-acute care sectors. Scheduled for August 12–14, 2025, at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, this year’s theme, “Reimbursement RoZetta Stone,” centers on decoding the complexities of today’s healthcare reimbursement systems.

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On July 14, 2025, CMS will release the new Internet Quality Improvement & Evaluation System (iQIES) Electronic Plan of Correction (ePOC) system functionality to participating Nursing Homes and State Agencies.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Justice filed notice that it would appeal the Northern District of Texas April 2024 court ruling that vacated the federal staffing mandate.

This year, National Certified Nursing Assistants Week is from June 12th to June 18th, 2025. This week aims to celebrate and recognize the incredible work that CNAs do everyday in our nursing facilities and assisted living residences. Mass Senior Care is offering Certificates of Appreciation to distribute to your CNAs during National Certified Nursing Assistants Week (June 12-18, 2025).

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) has announced the 2025 Bronze – Commitment in Quality Award recipients. MSCA is proud to recognize 26 member facilities that have earned this achievement.

• REMINDER: Reporting Due Today on Expanded Suitability Review and Management Companies • MA Attorney General Issues Guidance on Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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The UMass Lowell Solomont School of Nursing has launched an exciting new program that makes it possible for Registered Nurses (RNs) to obtain their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BS) fully on line in as little as one year.

With the recent release of Quarter 4 of 2024 Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) data, the amount of temporary nursing service (TNS) contract labor being utilized by Massachusetts’ nursing facilities decreased again compared to Quarter 3 of 2024.

The House Reconciliation Bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would have a disproportionate negative impact on community colleges and the students they serve.

DPH is requesting all long-term care facilities currently engaged with a management company (“Management company”, an organization engaged by a licensee to manage the operations at a long-term care facility) to submit specific information by tomorrow, May 30, 2025.

The draft Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Item Sets version (v)1.20.1v3-Section_R_removed and Item Matrix v1.20.1v3-Section_R_removed are now available in the Downloads section on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Manual page. The MDS Item Sets v1.20.1 will be effective beginning October 1, 2025.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a State Medicaid Director letter increased federal oversight in regard to state use of federal Medicaid dollars to cover health care for individuals who are in the country illegally.

Join AHCA/NCAL in Las Vegas, NV for their annual Convention & Expo! Delivering Solutions 25 emphasizes AHCA/NCAL’s commitment to improving the quality of life for residents in long term care and assisted living facilities.

Mass Senior Care is proud to announce that Stephanie Bruno, MS, LNHA, the Executive Director at Alliance Health at Rosewood, has been selected by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) as a future leader in long term and post-acute care. Stephanie will participate in the nineteenth annual “Future Leaders of Long Term Care (LTC) in America” program hosted by AHCA/NCAL, which provides year-long training and mentorship for professionals in long term and post-acute care.

• FY 2026 Budget Conference Committee Appointed • MAVRIC Launch – June 2