E-News Update Articles

State Senator Michael Brady (D-Brockton) and Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues presented citations recognizing the staff and leadership at Baypointe Rehabilitation & Skilled Care Center for a second consecutive deficiency-free survey.

Register today for Mass Senior Care's 2019 Leadership Convention at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Brewster on September 19-20th. Please join us at this premier conference destination that offers a unique forum to exchange ideas, share experiences, earn CEUs and network with colleagues. Provider member registration and additional details are available for the Leadership Convention.

CMS will host a call on Tuesday, August 27 from 1:30 to 3 pm ET on Understanding Your SNF VBP Program Performance Score Report. During this call, learn about your Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program Performance Score Report. CMS experts present a high level summary of the program and highlight the payment year 1 results (FY 2019 program year). A question and answer session follows the presentation; however attendees may email questions in advance to SNFVBP@rti.org with

CMS released the latest episode of its podcast, CMS: Beyond the Policy. This edition focuses on the first of CMS' 5-pronged strategy on strengthening oversight in nursing homes. You can also listen to the podcast on Google Play and iTunes.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released revisions of its March 5, 2019 memo to state survey agencies to "Revisions to Appendix Q, Guidance on Immediate Jeopardy". CMS has added language to Appendix Q to give state survey agencies guidance on when they must report suspected illegal acts to law enforcement. The language added to Appendix Q now specifies that when a deficiency is identified, if illegal activity is connected to the deficiency, the state surveyor and

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated list which reflects all OIG exclusions and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in July 2019. This new file is meant to replace the updated List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) database file available for download last month. Individuals and entities that have been reinstated to the federal health care programs are not included in this file. The updated files are posted

Project Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) is an evidence-based intervention that provides a systematic approach to prepare patient and caregivers for a successful discharge back to the community. Through a three-year Special Innovation Project, Healthcentric Advisors has partnered with hospitals, nursing homes, home health, and local aging services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts to enhance discharges back to the community, impacting nearly 4,500 patients. On Thursday, August 22nd, from 10 am to noon, Healthcentric Advisors QIO will convene a meeting to learn about the

Recently released OIG report included a recommendation that "CMS should analyze the potential impacts of counting time spent as an outpatient toward the 3-night requirement for SNF services so that beneficiaries receiving similar hospital care have similar access to these services."

The 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program cycle is underway! Application packets are now available online. Based on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award recognizes long term and post-acute care member centers and communities for quality care. Participating in the Quality Award Program has many benefits, including: It provides a proven framework that organizations can use to make improvements in any clinical, quality or other operational issue (i.e. staff engagement, customer satisfaction, hospital readmissions). It prepares

The National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and Quality Assurance Performance Improvement will host a call on September 10, 2019 from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm on Dementia Care: Supporting Comfort and Resident Preferences. During this call, gain insight on approaches to care for residents living with dementia that focus on resident preferences, maintaining comfort, and assisting with unmet needs. Additionally, CMS will provide updates on the progress of the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes. A

MassMAP will be holding orientation sessions for Skilled Nursing Facilities, Assisted Living Residences and Rest Home members in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in September. The orientation is for new MassMAP members as well as staff who are not familiar with the MassMAP website.

Yesterday Governor Charlie Baker signed into law the FY 2020 Budget, which includes $50 million in new Medicaid funding for nursing facility care and establishes a Nursing Facility Emergency Task Force to make recommendations to ensure the sustainability of the nursing facility sector.

Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule outlining the Federal Fiscal Year 2020 (FFY 2020) Medicare prospective payment system rate update and quality reporting requirements for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The FFY 2020 final rule establishes a market basket increase of 2.4 percent, a figure statutorily mandated by Congress, and will start October 1, 2019. The Final Rule makes no material changes to the scheduled implementation of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM)

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has issued the following information related to the Paid Family and Medical Leave program. October 1 will mark the beginning of the first quarter of payroll and wage withholdings. DFML has now determined that these withholdings will be remitted to DFML 30 days following the conclusion of each calendar quarter and should begin with the first payment made on or after Oct. 1, 2019. Therefore, the withholdings could be for services

Building on its 34-year legacy of assisting long term care staff in furthering their education, the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation is proud to announce its 2019 Foundation Scholars.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to report Governor Charlie Baker signed into law today the FY 2020 Budget, which includes $50 million in new Medicaid funding for nursing facility care and establishes a Nursing Facility Emergency Task Force to make recommendations to ensure the sustainability of the nursing facility sector.

Robert Solomon from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and an annual presenter at the Mass Senior Care Annual Life Safety Code workshop outlines the issue that Massachusetts nursing homes face with the conflict in the federal life safety code regulations and the Massachusetts Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators in his blog Sprinklers, state code amendments, and the safety ecosystem. For questions regarding this issue, please contact Helen Magliozzi, Mass Senior Care Association Director of Regulatory Affairs.

This week, the Massachusetts Legislature approved and sent to Governor Charlie Baker for his final approval the state fiscal year 2020 budget.

Oriol Health Care in Holden was recently named one of three winners in the PCM/Intel $30,000 Workplace IT Makeover contest. The makeover included an upgrade in technology and replacement of Wi-Fi at two nursing facilities which has provided Oriol Health Care with the foundation to embrace new technology that will assist them in providing quality care to their residents. Photo: David Oriol, Oriol Health Care VP and COO; Beth Cogavin OHC CFO; Kerry Sama Rubio, Intel Marketing Account Manager; Robert

Mass Senior Care is pleased to host our 2019 Leadership Convention at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Brewster on September 19-20th. Please join us at this premier conference destination that offers a unique forum to exchange ideas, share experiences, earn CEUs and network with colleagues. Provider member registration and additional details are now available for the Leadership Convention. Mass Senior Care is offering sponsorship opportunities exclusively to our Associate Members/Preferred Vendors to join us at this year's event

To accommodate an overwhelming response from our members, the August 19th ICD-10 Diagnosis Training for Skilled Nursing Facilities and the August 20th Patient Drive Payment Model for Billing Staff seminars have both been moved to the Hilton Garden Inn, 450 Totten Pond Road in Waltham, allowing us to accommodate more attendees. Anyone who is on the waiting list for either of these programs will receive an email requesting that they confirm their registration as soon as possible. If you are

Mass Senior Care is pleased to report that the Conference Committee has filed its FY 2020 spending proposal, which includes $50 million in new Medicaid funding for nursing facility care and establishes a Nursing Facility Emergency Task Force to make recommendations on long term sustainability of the nursing facility sector.

SAVE THE DATE 2019 Leadership Convention September 19-20, 2019 Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club, Brewster Please mark your calendars for Mass Senior Care's 2019 Leadership Conventionon September 19th and 20th. Registration for provider members will be available next week. Massachusetts Senior Care Association is pleased to offer our Associate Members/Preferred Vendors sponsorship opportunities to join us at this year’s Leadership Convention. Please contact Jennifer Chen at 617-558-0202, ext. 239 for additional information.

As noted in last week’s E-News, MassHealth has made a change to the Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) process to extend the permitted duration of the Convalescent Care and Respite Categorical Determinations to 75 and 15 days, respectively. The change is retroactively effective to July 1, 2019. Please see the following information related to this change: Revised Provider Bulletin on PASSR - NF Provider Bulletin 143 Updating Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) – this Bulletin maintains the substantive

The 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program cycle is just around the corner – applications and the criteria series will be available August 1, 2019. Based on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award recognizes long term and post-acute care member centers and communities for quality care. Participating in the Quality Award Program has many benefits, including: It provides a proven framework that organizations can use to make improvements in any clinical, quality or other operational issue

MassHealth last week issued a notice to nursing facilities that the website for Section Q referrals to Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs), a.k.a. “Section Q Reporter”, has been decommissioned and it will no longer be available for use. To make Section Q referrals, please contact your ASAPs directly via email or by phone. For questions on Section Q referrals, please contact David Kazis at David.A.Kazis@MassMail.State.MA.US. Source: MassHealth

Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule on the Requirements of Participation (RoPs) and delays implementation of some Phase 3 requirements by a year.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course on how to properly code Section GG. This 45-minute course is intended for providers in the following care settings: Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), and Home Health Agencies (HHAs). The course is designed to be used on demand anywhere you can access a browser. The course is divided into the following four lessons and includes interactive exercises that allow

FY 2020 Conference Committee deliberations continue and it is unclear when consensus will be reached on a legislative FY 2020 recommendation.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated list which reflects all OIG exclusions and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in June 2019. This new file is meant to replace the updated List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) database file available for download last month. Individuals and entities that have been reinstated to the federal health care programs are not included in this file. The updated files are posted

Marquis Health Services celebrated the completion of renovations to Chestnut Woods Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Saugus with a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. Pictured from left: Marquis Health Services CEO Norman Rokeach; State Representative Donald Wong (R-Saugus); Chestnut Woods administrator Kyle Lussier;Sharon Donaghue, Marquis Health's regional senior vice president of operations; Marlene Sheehy, vice president of business development; Dr. Yogesh Viroja, chief medical officer; and Samantha McHugh, Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Conference Committee members continue to reconcile the House of Representatives' and Senate's versions of the FY 2020 budget. The state is currently operating on an interim budget to keep state government programs and services running through the month of July.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) yesterday informed nursing facility registered users that the FY19 MassHealth Direct Care Webform is now operational at https://www.uenter.org/nf/. The due date for submission is Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Please note that users now have the ability to view prior year filings by selecting the year on the webform's home page. If you have difficulty logging into your account or have other questions, please email NFDirectCare@umassmed.edu. EOHHS has also asked us to

As of Monday, July 1, the new address for the Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality (BHCSQ), including the Division of Health Care Facility Licensure and Certification (DHCFLC) and the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) will be: Department of Public Health Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality 67 Forest Street Marlborough, MA 01752 The Bureau's main phone number will remain 617-753-8000.

Mass Senior Care invites staff at member facilities to participate in various committees designed to share information on the topics of clinical quality, regulatory, human resources and finance and reimbursement. This information and feedback will assist MSCA staff with developing policy positions and prioritizing strategic initiatives. Committee meetings are held in Mass Senior Care's office in Waltham. Facility members are invited to participate. If you are interested in attending one of the upcoming committee meetings, please contact Jennifer Chen. Upcoming

MassHealth has issued NF Provider Bulletin 143 Updating Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) regulations for individuals with Intellectual Disability, Developmental Disability, and/or Serious Mental Illness. This bulletin maintains the substantive requirements set forth in Nursing Facility Bulletin 141, except it extends the permitted duration of the Convalescent Care and Respite Categorical Determinations to 75 and 15 days, respectively.

MassHealth has issued Managed Care Entity Bulletin 17: Prior Authorization and Utilization Management for Suboxone® (buprenorphine/naloxone). To facilitate the provision of medically necessary medication to treat substance use disorders, EOHHS is establishing the following requirements effective immediately. Utilization Management including Prior Authorization for Suboxone® (buprenorphine/naloxone) MassHealth Managed Care Entities (MCEs), including Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), Accountable Care Partnership Plans (ACPPs), One Care plans, Senior Care Options (SCOs), and the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) must provide access to at least

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting a 2-day Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) in-person 'Train the Trainer' event for providers on August 13 and 14, 2019, at the Four Seasons Hotel, 200 International Drive, Baltimore, MD 21202. This event will be open to all SNF providers, associations, and organizations. Like the May 2019 SNF QRP Provider Training, the primary focus of this 'Train-the-Trainer' event will be to provide those responsible for training

You can save $200* when you register for the 70th AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo before July 26th. Take advantage of the Early Bird discount, and get the maximum savings, but hurry — you only have about two weeks! Attendees can save $100 off the Premium/Full Registration Package when registering before the Early Bird deadline. In addition to this discount, you can also save another $100 when you stay within the AHCA/NCAL hotel room block. If you haven't registered for the

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has issued Administrative Bulletin 19-12 in regard to the nursing facility user fees that are in effect as of July 1, 2019. The fees to be paid by nursing facilities will remain unchanged: Facility Group Per Diem User Fee Effective July 1, 2019 Group I $21.73 Group II $2.17 Group III $2.17 Group IV $0.00

Based on the information received during the regulatory review process, the Department of Paid Family and Medical Leave has posted additional language that may clarify the process for determining an employer's total workforce for the purpose of remitting the correct contribution amount. Please click here to access the updated information. Additional information on the PFML law, including a Q&A for employers and employees, can also be found on The Department of Family and Medical Leave website. To sign up for

Nine Mass Senior Care member facilities are being recognized with a 2019 Silver – Achievement in Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).

As the FY 2020 Conference Committee continues to work to finalize the state budget, Mass Senior Care urges the nursing facility community to keep up the momentum and please continue to call your state legislators .

This week's Boston Globe's article, "Losing money and struggling to find workers, a nursing home operator feels the squeeze", presented in human terms a compelling picture of the ongoing financial and workforce crisis the Massachusetts nursing facility sector is experiencing.

Life Care Centers of America's Northeast Division recently held its annual Rewarding Excellence Banquet with associates from skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania The event celebrates each Center's Certified Nursing Assistants of the Year and Team Spirit Award winners. Zo Long, Division Vice President, noted, "It is wonderful to be able to celebrate all these Servant Leaders who care for our patients and resident. We are blessed to have so many wonderful leaders." Attendees represented the Patriot

We are saddened to share the passing of William E. Ring, Jr., Administrator of Bear Hill Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Stoneham and Hillside Rest Home in Amesbury. For over 26 years, Bill was a tireless advocate on behalf of his residents, their families, employees and the profession. Bill served as a Mass Senior Care Advocacy Ambassador advocating and was a frequent and compelling visitor to the Massachusetts State House. Bill's dedication and compassion will be sorely be missed by

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has issued an update on the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program: Final Regulations - a copy of the regulations filed with the Secretary of State's office is available on the DFML website. Bond Form and Instructions – If an employer is seeking an exemption from making PFML contributions as a self-insured employer, the employer must complete an exemption application and furnish a bond running to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in

Mass Senior Care Association today testified at the Department of Public Health's public hearing urging the Commissioner to exempt skilled nursing facilities from the proposed amendments to 105 CMR 721.000 – Standards for Prescription Format and Security in Massachusetts.

The deadline to return Mass Senior Care Association's 2019 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been extended to Friday, July 12th. We are asking members to complete the survey based on data collected for the week beginning May 20, 2019. The survey is a fillable form that should be returned to Mass Senior Care by postal mail, fax (617-558-3546) or email to ddesimone@maseniorcare.org. Please note that, based on feedback from members, we have reduced the number of questions on this year's

Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Gloucester hosted their Annual Community Breakfast last week. This annual event is held to thank and show appreciation for the organizations and individuals who provide long term care services and support to seniors in the surrounding community. At the event, Seacoast awarded Martha Rappoli, Director of the Day by Day, a local adult day health program the "Service to Seniors" award. Photo (L-R): Gloucester Council President Paul Lundberg; State Senator Bruce Tarr; Friends of