Member Resources

In response to Mass Senior Care’s request to return to the prior 30-day verification process for LTC applications, MassHealth announced it will update its policy and revert to the prior 30-day timeframe to be effective in late September 2024.

Signature Healthcare announced that Brockton Hospital will begin re-opening its inpatient care services on Tuesday, August 13th, 18 months after a catastrophic electrical fire closed operations.

The Foundation is accepting applications through tomorrow, Friday, August 9th. Please click here to review the eligibility requirements and required application materials.

Mass Senior Care will once again be 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. If you are considering applying for one of the three Quality Awards, we highly recommend that you register for a workshop.

Governor Healey signed into law H.4890, ‘An Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency’, which requires employers with more than 25 employees to disclose salary ranges in job postings.

Member Update: Uptick in COVID-19 Cases and MWRA COVID-19 Wastewater Tracking

As a reminder, nursing facilities must update their Facility Assessment (F838) to meet the revised regulations as part of the federal staffing mandate by August 8, 2024.

On July 31, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule updating Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2025.

Yesterday, the Legislature adjourned formal session leaving unresolved a number of critical initiatives including the over $3 billion Omnibus Economic Development bill, which contained a $50 million Nursing Facility Capital Investment Fund in the House version (H.4804).

The Foundation is still accepting applications for its 2024 awards. Please note that the application and all required components must be submitted online at the same time and received by Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation no later than 4:00 pm today, Friday, August 2, 2024.

Earlier this week, Governor Healey signed into law the FY 2025 state budget, totaling $57.8 billion spending, which includes $40 million over the current FY 2024 Medicaid nursing facility budget appropriation to cover resident care and workforce costs.

Member Update: Boston Globe Editorial on LTC Reform Bill; CMS Leadership National Call – August 1

Member Update: Governor Healey Signs Into Law FY 2025 Budget; Long Term Care Reform Bill Conference Committee Appointed

The July 26, 2024 edition of Stat News includes an opinion piece on the new CMS federal nursing facility minimum standards, authored by two George Washington University School of Nursing Professors, "Without Federal Oversight, Nursing Homes Will Profit Ahead of Care”.

CMS has posted the recording and materials from the Overview of the Early Look Performance Score Report for the Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program webinar.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing notifications to facilities that were determined to be out of compliance with Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) requirements for CY 2023, which will affect their FY 2025 Annual Payment Update (APU).

Last week, the Centers for Disease Prevention & Control (CDC) released Updated Recommendations for COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines for 2024-2025.

The DPH and Mass Senior Care continue to encourage nursing facilities to vaccinate residents and staff with the most up to date COVID-19 vaccine.

Over the past 4 weeks, Massachusetts nursing facilities have seen an uptick in resident COVID-19 cases per CDC NHSN data. Nursing facilities are reminded to remain diligent in their infection control practices to limit the spread of COVID-19 to residents and staff.

Late yesterday afternoon, the Senate adopted its version of the Long Term Care Reform Bill, SB2889, An Act Relative to Long Term Care and Assisted Living and in doing so rejected the three MSCA-supported amendments.

Steward Health Care today announced plans to close Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer over the next month. According to the Steward announcement, these two hospitals received no qualified bids during the bankruptcy sales process.

Member Update: Understand the Regulatory Requirements Effective August 8 for Compliant Nursing Facility Assessments; US Department of State Announces Visa Retrogression Date of December 1, 2021; REMINDER: 2024 DCC-Q Final Filing Reporting is Due on July 31st

Member Update: Senate Adopts Long Term Care Reform Bill

Member Update: Senate Ways and Means Committee Issues Redrafted Long Term Care Reform Bill; State Imposes Receiver On Three Long-Term Care Centers

Member Update: Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting; Legislative Conference Committee Reaches Agreement on Workplace Equity Bill; EOHHS Issues Administrative Bulletin 20-24: NF User Fee Form Resubmission Deadline

Member Update: IT Outage – Hospital Admissions; Legislature To Enact and Send to Governor Healey FY 2025 Budget Today

The Massachusetts Department of Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) has released program updates, click the link below to read about each update! For additional information, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave.

Join the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) and the MassCyberCenter on August 8th at 10 am for the monthly health care provider cybersecurity call. Representatives of the Commonwealth Fusion Center will provide updates on recent cyber threats and trends. This call will include a presentation on ransomware in health care.

The Skilled Nursing Facility (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 October 2024 refresh.

Mass Senior Care has partnered with AHCA/NCAL and Incite Strategic Partners to offer members participation in an exclusive Group Purchasing Organization (GPO). Members across the country have been saving on their everyday purchases on many products and services including Dining, Medical, Supplies, and Technology through their Incite membership.

On Monday, the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and other long term care facilities that provide care to approximately five million people each year, formally announced the appointment of Clifton J. Porter, II as the new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Fall 2024. Porter currently serves as Senior Vice President of Government Relations for AHCA/NCAL, leading the organization’s legislative agenda and advocacy efforts.

The two-year 2023-2024 legislative session is nearing the end of its formal session, which is set for July 31st. While legislation can be adopted after that date, under current rules it is much more difficult to do so if not enacted prior to this deadline. Over the next two weeks, there are 12 major bills that are under active review by both chambers, including the following four that have major implications for the nursing facility sector.

Member Update: IT Outage Worldwide

Member Update: MOLST to POLST Transition Quarterly Update Call; Facility Assessment Resources

On July 2, DPH released a memo on Candida auris and Carbapenemase-producing Organism Surveillance Activity in the Commonwealth.

On Wednesday, June 26th, CMS posted an unpublished version of the Proposed Rule: Calendar Year 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update; Home Health Quality Reporting Program Requirements; etc. to the Federal Register.

AHCA/NCAL has been laser-focused on defeating the minimum staffing rule. In June, more than 600 AHCA/NCAL members went to DC for Congressional Briefing and visited more than 275 Congressional offices advocating against the minimum staffing rule. It is important lean into this advocacy momentum and continue the fight through facility & community tours.

Member Update: EOHHS Issues Request for Applications (RFA) for Nursing Facility Specialized Behavioral Unit; 2024 DCC-Q Online Portal Now Available for Data Entry; Nursing Home Compare Changes Take Effect July 31st

Member Updates: EOHHS through UMASS Issues RY24 DCC-Q FINAL Filing Update; Temporary Protected Status Extended for Haitian Immigrants; July 2024 Health Care Provider Cybersecurity Call

Member Update: House of Representatives Passes Economic Development Bond Bill: Includes $50 Million Authorization for Nursing Facility Capital Loan Program; US Supreme Court Reverses Chevron Decision: Curtails Federal Regulatory Agencies’ Ability to Interpret Laws

Mass Senior Care will once again be 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. If you are considering applying for one of the three Quality Awards, we highly recommend that you register for a workshop.

The DPH and Mass Senior Care continue to encourage nursing facilities to vaccinate residents and staff with the most up to date COVID-19 vaccine.

The DPH released guidance on Organizational Policies and Procedures for Mitigating Respiratory Illness after the expiration of the PHE. Health care facilities must continue to identify and monitor respiratory illness metrics to indicate when there are increased levels which may necessitate implementing additional infection control measures. One possible metric is the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Wastewater COVID-19 Tracking which measures the SARS-CoV2 levels.

On June 18, 2024 CMS released the revised guidance for the Long-term Care Facility Assessment regulation (QSO-24-13-NH), as part of the federal staffing mandate. The revision to the facility assessment regulation at F838 takes effect and must be implemented by August 8, 2024.