Member Resources

The Conference Committee is currently reconciling the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget recommendations of the House and Senate. Mass Senior Care has contacted the Conferees to urge them to include in the final Conference report (1) an update to the MassHealth nursing facility funding formula using 2019 costs and (2) a rate add-on for facilities that care for a disproportionate share of MassHealth nursing facility residents. These two sections would continue to build upon the Legislature’s efforts to modernize and stabilize the nursing facility sector by better recognizing current care costs, in order to make necessary investments in our workforce and improve resident experience and quality outcomes.

The state’s largest hospital systems announced today that they will mandate all of their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, once a vaccine is approved by the FDA which is expected soon. Leaders of Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Lahey Health, and Wellforce told their workers that requiring vaccination for employees is critical for protecting vulnerable patients.

Publicly available data on NHSN show 87% of nursing facility residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, ranking 9th in the nation. And 69.2% of nursing facility staff have been vaccinated, ranking 8th in the nation. Mass Senior Care Association continues to work with our member long term care facilities to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among residents and staff. Achieving a high rate of resident and staff vaccinations is critical to our fight against COVID-19 and ensuring the safety of our residents and the entire caregiving team.

CNA Training Opportunities The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is investing in workforce grants in critical sectors, including health care, to prepare individuals to secure employment, support their families, and contribute to the state’s post-pandemic economic recovery. If you have questions about these programs or want assistance developing a training pipeline strategy to meet your CNA hiring needs, please contact Jennifer Chen, Director of Membership. Rapid Reemployment Program Grant Program Last week Governor Baker announced the first round of grant funding through

DPH is transitioning its weekly COVID-19 resources conference call for nursing homes and rest homes instead to a once-per-month call, the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) will hold a virtual Town Hall event today from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (ET), and Mass Senior Care Association has a small inventory of KN95 masks available to facilities free of charge.

Updated Guidance on Use and Allowable Wastage of COVID-19 Vaccine; EOHHS Issues Initial HCBS Spending Plan for Use of Federal American Rescue Plan Act Funding; DPH Updates Guidance on Determining Inadequate Staffing Factor; Important Update on Verbal Consent on MOLST Form; LTC Staffing Portal to Close by June 30th; Reminder: AHCA/NCAL to Host Virtual Town Hall for Long Term Care Staff on COVID-19 Vaccine.

The Department of Public Health released updates to their Guidance for Caring for Residents during the COVID-19 Response.

The Governor signed into law legislation that extends certain COVID-19 pandemic waivers including Mass Senior Care’s language extending the authorization allowing nursing practice by nursing school graduates and students in their final semester of nursing education, the current Massachusetts Travel Advisory allows fully vaccinated people to resume activities as pre-pandemic and recommends that people follow the CDC guidance on travel, and ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​on June 16, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) to address exposure to COVID-19 to workers in healthcare settings.

The Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech is seeking digital health startups with solutions for unpaid family caregivers to compete in the Massachusetts Digital Health COVID-19 Recovery Challenge. The Challenge is focused on finding solutions for unpaid caregivers who provide support to loved ones outside of traditional child rearing. Challenge finalists will compete for prizes worth $250,000 The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened our awareness of the critical role family caregivers play in our society and the ways they impact our healthcare

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission earlier this week issued its annual report on issues affecting the Medicare program and the healthcare delivery system. The report included a recommendation to Congress that it should eliminate Medicare’s current skilled nursing facility (SNF) value-based purchasing program (VBP) that relies on one measure (hospital readmissions) and establish a new SNF value incentive program based on a series of measures, including:

On June 10 the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) and the MassCyberCenter, in collaboration with Massachusetts Senior Care Association, hosted the first in a series of monthly healthcare cybersecurity calls centered around the current threat landscape and best practices for organizations across the healthcare provider landscape. Representatives from over 17 distinct organizations, with expertise ranging from direct patient care to the management of IT and security infrastructure, met to discuss the federal and regional cybersecurity challenges with Ron Ford – Cybersecurity Advisor for CISA New England; Sergeant Brian Gavioli of the Massachusetts State Police and Commonwealth Fusion Center; and Amber Debole – CISO for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

AHCA/NCAL will hold a virtual town hall event for long term care staff to get more information about the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from 4:30pm ET to 5:30pm ET as part of its nationwide #GetVaccinated campaign. The event is open to all staff and is free to attend. Click HERE to register. It will also be livestreamed on AHCA/NCAL’s Facebook page.

US Department of Health and Humans Services’ We Can Do This campaign is a national initiative working hand in hand with trusted leaders and community organizations to continue to build confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and get more people vaccinated. This campaign offers tailored resources and toolkits for stakeholders to use to provide COVID-19 vaccine information to at-risk populations.

The Baker-Polito Administration, Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg and the Massachusetts State Lottery announced the Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway for residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Fully vaccinated residents 18 and older will have the opportunity to enter to win of five, $1 million cash prizes. Fully vaccinated residents between 12-17 years of age may enter for the chance to win one of five $300,000 scholarship grants.

Alliance Health at Rosewood and Brudnick Center for Living in Peabody both partnered with Salem Hospital, Mass General Brigham, and North Shore Physician’s Group to bring the MGB mobile vaccination community care van to their facilities. Coordinated by Stephanie McPherson, Rosewood’s Administrator, Tammy Starion, Brudnick’s DNS and Dr. Larissa Lucas, Medical Director, the mobile vaccine clinics provided an easily accessible way for the facility’s staff, residents, and the community at large to get vaccinated.

The Massachusetts Senior Care Association is celebrating National Nursing Assistants Week, June 17th-June 24th. Mass Senior Care recognizes and acknowledges the valuable contributions made by our dedicated and compassionate Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs). We are grateful for all you do to keep those in your care healthy, happy, safe and well.

On today’s DPH weekly call, DPH informed participants that, effective immediately, eye protection is no longer necessary in clinical areas except for when caring for residents in quarantine or isolation, MassHealth today issued Eligibility Operations Memo 21-09 in regard to flexibilities implemented March 18, 2020 that will remain in effect through the end of the COVID-19 Federal Public Health Emergency, and Commonwealth “Mass VaxMillions” Vaccine Lottery Program.

DPH released updated guidance on visitation conditions, communal dining, and congregate activities, and the next weekly DPH call with providers is scheduled for Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

The Commissioner of the Department of Public Health is expected to release a memo today outlining which Public Health Orders would be rescinded effective June 15, 2021 (tomorrow) and which will be extended, last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released updated reporting requirements for recipients of Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments, and MassHealth issues additional guidance COVID-related Patient Paid Adjustments (PPA).

Information on Senate public health emergency extension, mandatory reporting of resident and staff vaccination, rescinding of reporting requirements for health care facilities, reporting eligible HCP to the CDC NHSN Vaccination Module, OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards for healthcare setting, resident care assistants and the lifting of the public health emergency, and MassHealth updated transportation program guidance for transportation of dialysis patients to address access problem.

Join Healthcentric Advisors, a member of the IPRO QIN-QIO, on June 17, 12:30-1:30 pm for Naloxone in Nursing Homes - A Best Practice webinar.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association. Our Associate Members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and participating as exhibitors and sponsors for events and educational conferences. Mass Senior Care members are encouraged to contact Associate Members when they are in need of long term care products and services. You can find all of our Associate Members listed on our website, www.maseniorcare.org/preferred-vendors.

MassMAP will hold its annual education and tabletop exercises from June 22 – 24, 2021. This education is free and for MassMAP facility members only.

Last week, Mass Senior Care member facility Elizabeth Seton Residence in Wellesley hosted a Celebration of Life and Memorial Tree Dedication. Resident family members and facility staff gathered in the facility’s courtyard to pay tribute to the lives and efforts of all individuals at the Elizabeth Seton Residence who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the tree dedication, families added their own message to stones inscribed with the names of those lost. Family members placed hand-painted stones in a basket as names were read and remembered. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the stones were carefully placed around the memorial tree. Read the full article in Wicked Local.

Mass Senior Care has submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services testimony and comments on the proposed federal fiscal year 2022 Medicare SNF Payment rule, emphasizing our concern about the proposed section that would recalibrate the SNF patient driven payment model (PDPM). Read Mass Senior Care's testimony and comments to CMS.

In response to outreach made by Massachusetts Senior Care Association and local nursing facility operators, members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation co-signed a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra asking that $10 billion in Provider Relief Fund and $3 billion in aid through the American Rescue Plan’s Rural Relief Funds be allocated for skilled nursing facilities and the long term care sector. Mass Senior Care extends our thanks to the members of the Massachusetts delegation who have co-signed the letter and their continued commitment and leadership on behalf of individuals living and working in the Commonwealth’s nursing facilities.

Mass Senior Care advocates for the extension of certain public health orders in Senate bill, the Public Health Council, via emergency regulation, extended the Public Health Commissioner’s authority to issue public health orders related to COVID-19 testing, vaccination and protections for high-risk populations, when the state’s public health emergency ends on June 15th, and as of June 13, 2021 CMS will begin imposing CMPs on nursing facilities that do not complete the weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Data for Residents and Healthcare Personnel to NHSN.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is providing long-term care facilities with updated vaccination guidance to maintain the safety of residents, staff, and visitors, MassHealth has issued All Provider Bulletin 318, which provides an update on monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19, DPH is collaborating with the CDC on the development of infection control trainings for frontline healthcare personnel, DPH invites long-term care facilities to attend a virtual Town Hall presentation of the Caring for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia training program, and the next weekly DPH call with providers is scheduled for Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

Governor Baker signed into law on May 28th a bill to address the issue of higher than anticipated solvency assessments in the first quarter of calendar year 2021. The state Department of Unemployment Assistance last month notified employers that the deadline for first quarter unemployment insurance payments had been delayed from April 30th to June 1st, to allow the Administration and legislature time to address the issue of higher than anticipated solvency assessments in the first quarter.

The Massachusetts Senior Care Association looks forward to celebrating National Nursing Assistants Week which kicks off on Thursday, June 17th. This annual celebration is an opportune time to formally recognize and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by members of your staff every day—especially the Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who provide quality care to residents.

Beginning August 2020, Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) resumed post-payment reviews of items and services with dates of service before March 2020. MACs may now begin conducting post-payment medical reviews for later dates of service.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has established a webpage which consolidates relevant coronavirus and COVID-19 information and answers questions from the public about the EEO laws and COVID-19.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) is thrilled to announce the 2021 Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award recipients. This year, 194 skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), 39 assisted living (AL) communities, and 3 combined SNF/AL providers in 42 states achieved the Bronze Award! Three Mass Senior Care member facilities have been recognized this year, including Broad Reach Rehab at Liberty Commons in North Chatham, John Adams HealthCare Center in Quincy and Ledgewood Rehab & Skilled Nursing Center in Beverly.

This memo discusses CHIA updated surveillance testing reporting – streamlined reporting survey and new NIOSH guidance on N-95 respirators

Members are updated on Governor Baker's bill addressing unemployment insurance rate relief and COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave program and the DPH weekly call.

EOHHS today issued MassHealth Bulletin 164/May 2021, updating COVID-19 Ongoing Surveillance Testing Requirements. Under this Bulletin, facilities will be required to report to CHIA weekly, with the first week running from Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 7 am through Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 6.59 am.

This memo addresses clarification on COVID-19 vaccine education.

Today, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders announced that after serving as the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health for over 6 years, Commissioner Monica Bharel is stepping down effective June 18. Appointed by Governor Baker in 2015, the Commissioner has steered the Department of Public Health through significant public health challenges including the opioid epidemic, vaping associated lung disease, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on May 22nd announced a new 18-month designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This new TPS designation enables Haitian nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in Haiti) currently residing in the United States as of May 21, 2021 to file initial applications for TPS, so long as they meet eligibility requirements.

The Legislature has enacted and sent to Governor Baker a bill to address the issue of higher than anticipated solvency assessments in the first quarter of calendar year 2021. The state Department of Unemployment Assistance last month notified employers that the deadline for first quarter unemployment insurance payments had been delayed from April 30th to June 1st, to allow the Administration and legislature time to address the issue of higher than anticipated solvency assessments in the first quarter.

Registration is now open for AHCA's 72nd AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo which takes place from October 10-13 at the National Harbor outside Washington, DC. Visit AHCAconvention.org for a special message and invitation from AHCA/NCAL President & CEO Mark Parkinson.

Mass Senior Care Association continues to work with our member long term care facilities to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among residents and staff. To assist members with talking to long term care staff, residents, and family members about the importance of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, Mass Senior Care is sharing updated and new resources as part of our ongoing campaign “Arming Ourselves Against COVID-19”.

Last chance to register for Mass Senior Care's MDS 3.0 for PDPM: Confidence in Coding webinar on June 3rd.