E-News Update Articles

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.

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 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).

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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).

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.

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).

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

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.

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.

• 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

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.

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.

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.

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

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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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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

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 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.

• CMS Increased Oversight - Federal Medicaid Funding for Illegal Immigrants • Proposed Federal Financial Aide Cuts Raise Concerns for Massachusetts • UMass Lowell Launches Fully On-Line RN to BS Degree Program

• Nursing Facility Temporary Nursing Service (TNS) Agency Usage Data Trend • REMINDER: Expanded Suitability Review and Management Companies

On May 19th, the U.S. Supreme Court, in an emergency order with only one noted dissent, authorized the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants currently residing in the United States.

On May 1, the new Director of the Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality, Teryl Smith, released an initial memo implementing Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2024 An Act to Improve Quality and Oversight of Long-Term Care. The Act requires the Department of Public Health (DPH), among other actions, to conduct a suitability review of current management company contracts and to conduct a review of a management company prior to entering into a contract with a long-term care facility.

Governor Healey introduced an updated five-year plan to make Massachusetts more age- and dementia-friendly. Called ReiMAgine Aging 2030: The Massachusetts Plan, the plan looks at the needs of the state’s aging population and the challenges they face.

Administrative, clinical, and operations staff from nursing facilities across Massachusetts gathered at the DCU Center in Worcester on May 14th for Mass Senior Care Association’s (MSCA) 2025 Spring Conference & Trade Show. The event offered a day of insight, education and networking, anchored by a keynote from Clif Porter, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).

On May 13th, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a Federal Register notice of termination of the designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan. The termination is effective July 14, 2025. Absent court intervention, after July 14, 2025, nationals of Afghanistan who have been granted TPS under Afghanistan’s designation will no longer have TPS or work authorizations.

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.

The Joint Committee on Aging and Independence on May 12th held a public hearing on a series of bills related to home and community-based services, Assisted Living Residences and Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Tara Gregorio, President of Mass Senior Care, filed written testimony to the Committee on two bills of particular importance to the nursing facility provider community.

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. Early bird registration ends on June 17th.

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As a reminder, the mandatory off-cycle SNF provider enrollment revalidation deadline has been pushed back to August 1, 2025. On Friday, May 9th, the CMS posted updated sub-regulatory guidance addressing a number of frequently asked questions.

CMS issued a notice acknowledging that access to the reporting of the annual National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Influenza Vaccination among Healthcare Personnel data was not available for a short time on the original due date of May 15th and, therefore, has extended the deadline for reporting this information to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention NHSN to today, Friday, May 23, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.

Earlier this week, Governor Maura Healey posted a new public dashboard displaying the total amount of federal funding cuts to Massachusetts state agencies. To date, $362 million in direct funding to the Commonwealth has been cut, including over $100 million for various Department of Public Health (DPH) prevention programs as well as disaster prevention aid.

• House Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill • FDA Will Limit Covid Vaccines • CMS Rolls Out Aggressive Strategy: Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan Audits • Skilled Nursing Facilities: Identify & Prevent Improper Part D Payments for Drugs • UMass’s Preceptor Academy Hosting Webinar • Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting

• IRF/LTCH/SNF QRP CDC Data Submission Deadline Extended to Friday, May 23, 2025

• Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to End TPS for Venezuelans • Governor Healey Posts Public Dashboard - Direct Federal Funding Cuts • ReiMAgine Aging 2030: The Massachusetts Plan • REMINDER: Expanded Suitability Review and Management Companies

• Governor Signs Into Law Supplemental Budget Bill • MassHealth PNA Annual Accounting • EOHHS Administrative Bulletin