MassHealth announced via an email to Nursing Home Administrators that it will be conducting its mandatory quarterly Nursing Facility Occupancy Survey for the July 1 census date.   In the email, MassHealth indicated that the census survey will now be conducted on behalf of MassHealth by the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

On June 25th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to end the emergency blanket waiver requiring all nursing homes to resume submitting staffing data through the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system by August 14, 2020.

This week The Berkshire Eagle published an op-ed, “COVID stats don't measure courage, compassion” by William C. Jones, President of Berkshire Healthcare Systems and Past-Chair of the Mass Senior Care Association.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently updated the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, which is issued by SNF and other providers submitting claims for Medicare items and services to beneficiaries in situations where Medicare payment is expected to be denied.

CHIA Announces 2019 Cost Reports Are Now Available for Submission

The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has announced the availability of an additional $22M in special Emergency Solutions Grant COVID-19 (ESG-CV) Round Two funding to provide medium-term measures to address homelessness. 

Updated Preparing for COVID-19 in Nursing Homes