E-News Update Articles

Register Now for Upcoming Seminars/Webinars!

MassHealth has issued a new online form for MassHealth Education and Community Outreach Support: the MassHealth Education and Information Request Form.

CMS has posted the updated Nursing Home Care Compare Technical Users’ Guide on the CMS Five Star Quality Rating System Page.

Member Update: Revised Long-Term Care Surveyor Guidance – Appendix PP; Register Now for Important Upcoming Webinars!

Member Update: Governor Healey Signs Into Law the FY2024 Closeout Bill to Cover Prior Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Gap: Includes Provision Further Delaying Until 2027 the Patient Billing Transparency Law; DPH Launching Recovery and Monitoring Program for Healthcare Professionals; Register Now for Informative Webinar: Revolutionize Wound Care in Your Nursing Facility; Registration Open for AHCAs Free Building Trust Leadership Academy

Revolutionize Wound Care in Your Nursing Facility Tuesday, January 14, 2025 12:30 pm –1:30 pm VIRTUAL

AHCA/NCAL will host a free webinar Encouraging Vaccinations This Season – So You and Your Residents Can Risk Less and Do More on Monday, December 9 at 4:00 EST for all members and non-members to gain insights about how to overcome vaccine reluctance and help increase vaccine uptake among the long term care population.

The NHSN Long Term Care Team and Vaccination Team will provide a refresher training about the newly combined reporting form for Respiratory Pathogens and Vaccination, which went into effect September 30, 2024 as well as the upcoming required reporting fields beginning January 1, 2025.

The Legislature sent to Governor Healey its FY 2024 closeout bill which includes a $502 million transfer from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to cover the FY2024 deficit. The Legislature rejected a series of proposals to add new program funding, including additional revenue for nursing facility care, to the closeout budget as its focus was on eliminating the deficit.

As previously reported, during the Baker administration Massachusetts incorrectly used $2.5 billion in federal money to provide unemployment benefits that should have been drawn from the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund. The error occurred during the Covid-19 Pandemic at a time when unemployment had escalated.

Last week, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published the updated Nursing Facility Industry Segment Specific Compliance Guidelines (Nursing Facility ICPG).

Member Update: Legislature Sends to Governor Healey the FY2024 Closeout Bill to Cover Prior Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Gap: Includes Provision Further Delaying Until 2027 the Patient Billing Transparency Law; Health Policy Commission 2024 Health Care Cost Trends Hearing; OIG Publishes Updated Nursing Facility Industry Segment Specific Compliance Guidelines; Overcoming Vaccine Reluctance Webinar; NHSN LTCF Component: Respiratory Pathogens and Vaccination Updates

On November 21, 2024, Mass Senior Care member Oriol Health Care marked a significant milestone, celebrating 60 years of exceptional service and commitment to the health and well-being of the Wachusett region and beyond.

Through a collaboration with the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), the Center of Health for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) is here to better equip nursing facility staff with the knowledge and techniques needed to work with residents who have mental health and substance use conditions.

CMS has updated certain Medicare beneficiary non-coverage notice forms that apply to both Medicare Fee-for-Service and Medicare Advantage covered beneficiaries. These forms will become effective January 1, 2025.

At Mass Senior Care’s November 14th Annual Meeting in Southbridge, a standing room only crowd listened to remarks from Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, MSCA Board of Directors Chair, Tom Lavallee, former New England Patriot Joe Andruzzi, and MSCA President Tara Gregorio.

We are grateful for your support and your extraordinary dedication to providing compassionate care to the older adults and individuals with disabilities who live in our skilled nursing facilities.

As a reminder, per 105 CMR 150.000 Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities, all health care personnel (HCP) must be up to date with the most current COVID-19 vaccine no later than December 31, 2024, unless the HCP is exempt from vaccination.

Please join us on Tuesday, December 3rd, in supporting the Mass Senior Care Foundation’s mission to promote workforce quality and to provide our compassionate caregivers with scholarships as they pursue advanced training and higher education.

Member Update: CMS Issues Proposed 2026 Medicare Advantage Program Rule: Includes Measures to Improve Beneficiary Access to Care; Nursing Facility TNS Agency Usage Data Trend; CMS SNF LTC Open Door Forum – December 5; UPDATE: MassHealth MMIS POSC AWS Migration DELAY

The next CMS SNF Long Term Care (LTC) Open Door Forum is scheduled for Thursday, December 5, 2024, from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern Time (ET).

Member Update: EOHHS Issues REVISED Request for Applications (RFA) for Nursing Facility Specialized Behavioral Unit; REMINDER: COVID-19 Health Care Personnel Vaccination

The Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) has launched an electronic payment service available for Assisted Living Residences (ALR) to pay the application and certification fees required to be certified as an Assisted Living Residence (ALR) in MA. The optional electronic payment service became effective November 1, 2024.

Vaccination rates for the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine remain extremely low for residents in Massachusetts’ nursing facilities. NHSN data from the week ending November 10, 2024, indicate only 30.7% of nursing facility residents have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, ranking Massachusetts as 26th out of 50 states and slightly higher than the national average of 30.4%.

This week, Governor Maura Healey signed into law the Economic Development Bill, H.5100, An Act relative to Strengthening Massachusetts’ Economic Leadership. The law authorizes the Governor to seek bonds totaling $4 billion to fund capital projects and programs throughout the Commonwealth. We are pleased to report that the law includes a provision authorizing $50 million to fund nursing facility capital improvements.

Late last week, a federal judge in Texas struck down the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Overtime Rule which was originally released on April 23, 2024. The Overtime Rule would raise the minimum salary threshold for employees who are classified as exempt from payment of overtime wages under the “white-collar” exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Nursing facilities are reminded to remain diligent in their infection control practices to limit the spread of COVID-19 to residents and staff especially as we enter respiratory virus season.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to report that Governor Healey also signed into the law a provision adding the Commonwealth to the national Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) which is vital to continued efforts to address the nursing workforce shortage.

Member Update: DPH Webinar on Respiratory Virus Illnesses

The MAVRIC electronic death registration system go live date has been delayed. The final code testing led to further adjustments for funeral home staff, burial agents, and medical examiners.

Please join us on Tuesday, December 3rd, in supporting the Mass Senior Care Foundation’s mission to promote workforce quality and to provide our compassionate caregivers with scholarships as they pursue advanced training and higher education.

Member Update: MassHealth LTSS Best Practices - Verifying Eligibility and Claim Status; MassHealth Informational Webinars on MMIS Migration to Cloud System

Member Update: Governor Healey Signs Into Law the Economic Development Bill: Includes $50 Million Authorization for Nursing Facility Capital Loan Program; Massachusetts Joins National Nurse Licensure Compact and Facilitates Licensure of Foreign Physicians for Underserved Regions; Governor Healey Names Robin Lipson as Permanent Head of Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA)

Member Update: Legislature Enacts Consensus Economic Development Bill and Sends To Governor Healey: Includes $50 Million Authorization for Nursing Facility Capital Loan Program; IMPORTANT MASSHEALTH NOTICE FOR NURSING FACILITY BILLING - MassHealth Final Submission Deadline Claims Process for Issues Relating to the October 2023 Transition from MMQ to MDS; US Department of Labor’s Overtime Rule Struck Down by Federal Judge; MAVRIC Webinar for Registered Nurse/Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Pronouncers; Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting; Mass Senior Care Clinical & Regulatory Committee Meeting; CMS Leadership National Call

Member Update: MassHealth MMIS Amazon Web Services (AWS) Migration: November Billing Deadline

The 2025 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Intent to Apply (ITA) period is open, but the deadline to apply is next week! AHCA encourages applicants who plan to apply for a 2025 Quality Award to submit an ITA by logging into the Quality Award Portal before the deadline on November 14, 2024. Applicants will receive an automatic discount on the overall application fee when submitting a 2025 application.

Staffing data for July 1 – September 30, 2024, is due by 11:59 p.m. EST on November 14. Nursing facilities are encouraged to submit their data early and review the staffing reports in CASPER to confirm the accuracy and completeness of submissions.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Nurse Aide Registry Services (NARS) announced its testing vendor, D & S Headmaster (“D&S”), will begin offering the nurse aide certification exam in Haitian Creole, in addition to Spanish, Chinese, and English.

The SNF Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on Care Compare and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the January 2025 refresh.

Join DPH and Mass Senior Care for a webinar on Successfully Navigating the Informal Dispute Resolution Process (IDR), and the Independent Informal Dispute Process (IIDR) Tuesday, November 19, 2024 1:00 pm –3:00 pm

The CDC has endorsed two new recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the COVID and pneumonia vaccines.

Join us as we gather for our 2024 Annual Meeting & Trade Show on Thursday, November 14th at the Wellsworth Hotel in Southbridge, MA!

Member Update: Nurse Aide Certification Testing Available in Haitian Creole Starting December 2nd; CMS Extends Due Date for All Medicare Revalidations to May 1, 2025; CDC Updates Guidance for COVID-19 and Pneumonia Vaccines

Member Update: COVID-19 Vaccination Rates; Mass Senior Care Testifies at EOHHS Rate Year 2025 Nursing Home Rate Regulation Public Hearing; Lawmakers Ask CMS to Monitor Medicare Advantage Plan – Focus on Inappropriate Prior Approval Methods; CMS Issues Final Rule Impacting Nursing Home NHSN Reporting Starting January 1, 2025

On October 30th, Wingate at Silver Lake hosted early voting for residents, marking a significant moment in the lead-up to the 2024 Election.

Massachusetts Senior Care Association is pleased to share the Vote 2024 campaign to ensure the long term care community has the opportunity to vote in the upcoming elections.

What’s Ahead for SNF QRP: Insights, Innovations, and Impacts; Successfully Navigating the Informal Dispute Resolution Process (IDR), and the Independent Informal Dispute Process (IIDR)

On October 23, 2024, CMS released Fiscal 2025 State Performance Standards System Guidance for State Survey Agency. The State Performance Standards System is used to measure how successful surveyors are in inspecting Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes.

On October 18, the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living held elections for the 2024/2025 term.

Mass Senior Care is once again offering AHCA/NCAL Quality Award workshops to help members better understand how to complete the application from beginning to end with coaching support along the way from expert trainers.