E-News Update Articles

On Wednesday, the Boston Globe reported on CDC Director Mandy Cohen’s visit to the Whittier Street Health Clinic in Roxbury.

Member Updates: EOHHS To Issue Medicaid Nursing Facility Rate Year 2024 Letters Today; Free At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits Available through DPH; DPH Monthly Long-Term Care Stakeholder Call; Final Chance to Register for DEI Webinar Series

Hamel-Lydon Chapel, an MSCA Associate Member, is proud to announce this year's 10 recipients and their respective organizations that represent compassionate care and provide exceptional service to patients and families.

Member Update: MassHealth Implements LTSS Provider Self-Service Online Inquiry Form; Corrected Email Address for MDS Section S Questions

Member Update: Boston Globe Editorial Highlights Backlog in Discharging Hospital Patients; Amended Regulations Related to Changes to COVID-19 Vaccination for Health Care Personnel; Rate Year 2024 Medicaid Nursing Facility Rate Letters

Member Update: MassHealth Nursing Facility Transition to MDS effective October 1, 2023

Member Update: EOHHS Issues Rate Year 2024 Medicaid NF Rates

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health today issued a memorandum regarding important updates to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) Section S documents

Massachusetts is experiencing a steady and concerning rise in COVID-19 cases in long-term care facility residents and staff.

Members are urged to join the Mass Senior Care Association (MSCA) and American Health Care Association in opposing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed “one size fits all” minimum staffing rule

Register for our remaining Fall Education Programs!

The House and Senate on Thursday enacted and sent Governor Healey a compromise tax reform bill.

Member Update: EOEA Quarterly Conference Call – October 4, 2023

Member Updates: MassHealth Issues Two Important MDS Billing Reminders for NFs; Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting

Member Updates: CMS Updates Nursing Home Care Compare Staffing and Quality Measures; Mass Senior Care Testifies at Joint Public Health Committee Hearing on Certified Medication Aide Bills; DPH Issues Data Brief on Trends in Nursing Facility Resident Falls

Member Update: MassHealth Issues Nursing Facility Bulletin 181

Thank you to all Mass Senior Care Members for sharing how you spent National Assisted Living Week!

At Mass Senior Care’s request for the benefit of membership, on August 16th EOHHS issued a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit relevant information from nursing facilities to enable MassHealth to create enhanced rates to serve these populations.

On September 11, the FDA approved for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines for 2023-2024 manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

MSCA has a partnership with Incite Strategic Partners, the exclusive Group Purchasing Organization of AHCA/NCAL.

DPH will host two virtual training sessions focused on the new MDS Section S questions, which pertain to state-specific items for Massachusetts long-term care facilities.

Member Update: Medicaid Nursing Facility PDPM Nursing Rates - Updated

The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s Gero Nurse Prep course significantly increases RNs’ gerontological nursing competency test scores.

Now is the time to register for important clinical and regulatory programs!

Yesterday, the Biden administration announced plans to make it legally possible for Venezuelan immigrants to seek work in the United States.

Member Update: Register Now for September 28th Members Only MMQ/PDPM Conversion Webinar

Member Updates: Joint Committee on Public Health to Hold Public Hearing on September 21, 2023; MassHealth Updates NF Manual; MMQ/MDS Conversion FAQ #2

Member Update: EOHHS Issues Two Advisory Bulletins on Nursing Facility User Fee Assessment

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a number of updated Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting (SNF QRP) manuals and other measure calculation resources on the Agency’s SNF QRP Measures and Technical Information webpage.

Member Updates: Governor Healey Files FY23 Closeout Budget: Includes Proposed Repeal of REDCap COVID-19 Reporting Requirements; Public Health Council Approves Changes to COVID-19 Vaccination Regulation for Health Care Personnel; Hurricane Lee Preparations; EOEA to Host Quarterly Conference Call with Assisted Living Residences (ALRs); Final Chance to Register for Important Labor Law Update

The DPH is inviting nursing facilities to an upcoming virtual summit discussing the IPRO QIN-QIO’s Nursing Home Naloxone Policy and Procedure Toolkit, hosted by Abt Associates and their partner, Healthcentric Advisors.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association.

As we gear up for cold and flu season, the importance of vaccination has never been more evident. Especially as just this week, the federal government approved a new, updated COVID vaccine.

Fall is here! Now is the time to register for important clinical and regulatory programs.

ember Updates: National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call; AHCA/NCAL Releases 2023 #GetVaccinated Provider Toolkit

Member Updates: FDA Approves Updated COVID-19 Vaccines; DPH Quarterly Long-Term Care Stakeholder Call

Member Update: 2024 Medicaid Nursing Facility Rate Package

Mass Senior Care is looking forward to celebrating National Assisted Living Week, happening this Sunday, September 10, through Saturday, September 16, 2023!

Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder today announced that preliminary revenue collections for August totaled $2.429 billion, $172 million or 6.6% less than actual collections in August 2022.

MSCA celebrates all the dedicated employees who keep our nursing facilities safe and clean during the upcoming International Housekeeping and Environmental Services Week - September 10-16, 2023.

Fall Education Programs Now Available - Register at www.maseniorcare.org

The Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) is hosting a new online listening session "Echoes from Administrators" on Thursday, September 14 at 12:15 pm

Member Update: Hospital Capacity & Discharges to Skilled Nursing Facilities

CMS has released the proposed minimum staffing rule.

As previously reported, Governor Healey on March 29, 2023 signed an authorization to continue to allow nursing practice by graduates and students in their last semester of nursing education programs.

Member Updates: CMS Issues Proposed HPPD Rule; Use of Graduate Nurses and Nursing Students in Last Semester of School; MassHealth Provider Profile Update Instruction Guide Now Available; MassHealth PASRR Portal Update

With Fall right around the corner, now is the time to register for important clinical and regulatory programs.

Massachusetts is experiencing a steady and concerning rise in COVID-19 cases in long-term care facility residents and staff.

As Labor Day weekend approaches, our member facilities are making every effort to ensure their residents enjoy the last few weeks of warmth and sunshine!

In August 2023, CMS released the updated final Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Item Sets version (v)1.18.11 and it is now available.