E-News Updates

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) has launched a new national campaign, “Live Fully,” to demonstrate the value of long term care and encourage policymakers in Washington, D.C. to enact meaningful policy changes to strengthen our sector. Providers, staff, residents, and families are encouraged to participate by submitting videos and photos through the website’s “Share Your Story” feature. Submissions may include caregiver testimonials, resident stories, or photos capturing meaningful moments in care communities.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center has announced a new accountable care initiative — the Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model — a 10-year voluntary program aimed at expanding access to accountable care and improving outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries. The LEAD Model will begin on January 1, 2027 and is intended to replace the ACO REACH demonstration when it concludes at the end of this calendar year.

The Massachusetts Center for Information and Analysis (CHIA) recently issued an update on the 2025 Nursing Facility Cost Report Deployment. CHIA plans to deploy the 2025 SNF-CR, the REA-CR, and the MGT-CR cost reports in late February.

Nursing facilities are required to file a Final Calendar Year 2025 DCC-Q form by March 1, 2026 through the UMASS online portal which is open for data entry on the electronic webform. As noted previously, this calendar year 2025 DCC-Q final filing covers the reporting period January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, and will be used in the Rate Year 2027 rates effective October 1, 2026.

CMS has announced that the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) program will fully transition to a paperless system by March 1, 2026. Most nursing homes currently hold CLIA certifications – typically through a waiver. As part of the shift, CMS will replace traditional paper communications with an entirely electronic process.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 111, section 71C and 105 CMR 150.028 Dementia Special Care Units require that all nursing facilities that advertise or hold themselves out to the public as a provider of specialized care to persons with dementia must file a disclosure statement with the Department of Public Health by March 1st each year.

The CMS Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) will hold a webinar for stakeholders on May 12 at 12PM EST to provide updated on CCSQ initiatives.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released several new and updated resources for long term care providers.

CMS recently released the official Technical Specification Report for the Falls with Major Injury (FMI) measure, incorporating feedback from the May 12–14, 2025 cross-setting Technical Expert Panel. The report outlines the measure’s key features, methodology, and testing results.

Join MassCAP on Wednesday, March 25 at CareOne at Millbury for an engaging in-person workshop from 8:00am – 1:00pm.

Register Now!