Member Resources

The SNF PPS Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) relies on accurate coding of several MDS Section GG mobility and self-care items that impact the PT, OT, and Nursing component per-diem case-mix payment rates. On June 7, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a series of short videos to assist providers with coding select Section GG items on the OASIS, IRF-PAI, LTCH CARE Data Set, and the MDS. These videos, ranging from 4-12 minutes, are designed to

If you missed Mass Senior Care Association‘s in-person PDPM training earlier this year, you can now take AHCA’s Virtual PDPM Training . This on-line training mirrors the in-person training and can also be taken by those who feel like they could benefit from taking the PDPM course again. The virtual training allows AHCA SNF members to learn about the critical steps necessary on the pathway to success under PDPM. Included with the virtual training is access to all materials on

Governor Baker today signed into law legislation enacting a three-month delay in the start date of the required contribution for the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). The required contribution start date is now October 1. This action follows an agreement earlier this week between the Governor, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo to adopt legislation that would delay the start date and clarify program design to ensure successful implementation of the PFML program this fall.

The Department of Public Health will hold a public hearing on amendments to the following regulations: 105 CMR 721.000 – Standards for Prescription Format and Security in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Legislature has appointed a six-member conference committee which has begun deliberations on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate's FY 2020 budget recommendations.

EOHHS Secretary Mary Lou Sudders has announced a new initiative to create and improve access to ambulatory behavioral healthcare. Secretary Sudders states "there is no ambulatory behavioral health treatment system, no continuum of care for children, youth or adults. Ambulatory behavioral health treatment is fragmented and often insufficient to meet the specific treatment needs of patients and their families. We can and must do better for individuals and family members with addictions, mental illness and co-occurring illnesses." This summer, the

Mass Senior Care Member Sherrill House hosted State Representative Nika Elugardo (D-Boston) at their facility recently. Photo (L-R): Isabel Torres, Legislative Aide; Patrick Stapleton, CEO of Sherrill House; State Representative Nika Elugardo; Karen Soorian, Director of Community Outreach and Volunteer Services; and The Very Reverend Tom Kennedy, Board Chairman

U.S. Congresswoman Lori Trahan (Center) with Mass Senior Care Leaders Leaders of Mass Senior Care Association took to Capitol Hill to advocate during AHCA/NCAL's Annual Congressional Briefing this week. Matt Salmon, Mass Senior Care Chairman, Bill Bogdanovich, MSCA Board Member & Foundation President, Tom Lavalle, MSCA Board Member, Holly Jarek, MSCA Member, Tara Gregorio, MSCA President and Jennifer Chen MSCA Director of Membership met with the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to discuss the critical need to protect and preserve Medicare funding

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 May 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

Earlier this week the Senate Committee on Aging released a list of nursing facilities that are considered to be "candidates" for the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program. CMS has since indicated that the agency will be publishing an updated SFF "candidate" list monthly on the Nursing Home Compare website and is developing further transparency tools to be launched at a later date. AHCA has provided the following summary on how the candidate list is created for the SFF program: CMS

The Department of Public Health's Determination of Need (DoN) program has issued a memorandum listing proposed guidelines for applications for new long term care beds, ending the longstanding moratorium that has been in place since March 1992. This action is a result of the Department's review following issuance of last December's Circular Letter in regard to the new process for Long-Term Care Facility Beds Out of Service (BOOS). At that time the Department indicated it would review the scope of

The Massachusetts Legislature has appointed a six-member conference committee which has begun deliberations on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate's FY 2020 budget recommendations. Members of the conference committee are Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senator Vinny deMacedo (R-Plymouth), House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), Representative Denise Garlick (D-Needham) and Representative Todd Smola (R-Palmer). Mass Senior Care urges member to contact their legislators to ask the conferees to support

Twenty-four Mass Senior Care member facilities are being recognized with a 2019 Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).

Mass Senior Care is grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues and the Senate for their continued leadership and support for individuals who live and work in the Commonwealth's nursing facilities.

House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz was the keynote speaker at South Cove Manor at Quincy Point's Annual Meeting and Dinner on May 21st.

Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) and Mass Senior Care co-hosted a Nursing Home Roundtable at Stoneham Senior Center this week. The open forum featured a brief overview presentation by Tara Gregorio, President of Mass Senior Care followed by a robust discussion with Senator Lewis, representatives from the nursing facilities in the district and local councils on aging. We extend our gratitude to the members who participated in the event, including: Aberjona Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, Winchester Bear Hill Rehabilitation and Nursing

Thursday, June 13th marks the beginning of "National Nursing Assistants Week." 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 daily care to our residents. The Massachusetts Senior Care Association is pleased to again make available FREE Certificates of Appreciation to distribute to your CNAs. To download certificates, please click here. To obtain certificates by postal mail, please contact

Mass Senior Care Association's 2019 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been electronically distributed to nursing facilities and corporate offices. 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 by Friday, June 28, 2019. Please note that, based on feedback from members, we have reduced the number of

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made changes to the regional coverage by the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIOs). The BFCC-QIO in MA was previously Livanta but will now be covered by KEPRO. Effective June 8, 2019, KEPRO will be the BFCC-QIO in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota

Over 500 members of the nursing facility community including residents, their families, staff and vendors took to the State House on May 21st to rally for increased funding to protect quality nursing home care.

On May 20 th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially posted on its website a draft version of the new RAI training guidance that will help transitioning to the Patient-Drive Payment Model. CMS notes that this early, preliminary release is being provided in response to stakeholder feedback. The MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17 contains many updates including information related to the Patient Driven Payment Model. Questions regarding information presented in the manual should be directed to the

MassHealth will be holding a webinar on June 20, 2019 at 2 pm in regard to its Technical Refresh of the MassHealth Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) to replace its HIPAA compliance and translator tool. The tool is used to validate HIPAA compliance and translate the HIPAA compliant transactions to an XML format so that they can be processed within MassHealth's MMIS. All HIPAA transactions (inbound/outbound) processed through MassHealth's MMIS will be affected by this technical refresh. MassHealth will be

Implementation of the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) is now underway. Join us for an informative education program to learn all there is to know about this new law, presented by David Wilson, Founding Partner of the law firm Hirsch Roberts Weinstein, an Associate Member of Mass Senior Care Association. The Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law: What Long Term Care Employers Need to Know June 11, 2019 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Mass Senior

Massachusetts employers that offer approved private plans with paid leave benefits that are equal to or more generous than those provided under the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program may obtain an exemption from making family or medical leave contributions to the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML). In order help employers evaluate whether they want to apply for an exemption, the Department of Paid Family and Medical Leave is providing specific information about the exemption process requirements

We look forward to hundreds of nursing home staff, residents and their families joining us at the Massachusetts State House for Mass Senior Care's Advocacy Day next Tuesday, May 21st at 10:00 a.m. Please click here for the flyer and directions/parking to the Massachusetts State House. The Massachusetts Senate is expected to debate the FY 2020 budget beginning next week, which coincides with Advocacy Day which is one of the Association's most important events of the year, when we show

At the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs hearing on May 7th, Frank Romano, President of Essex Group Management Corp and Mass Senior Care Association Board Member provided oral testimony in support of H.595, An Act Relative to Assisted Living Facility Care filed by State Representative James Arciero (D-Westford). This legislation would require the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) to implement an informal dispute resolution (IDR) process that allows operators of assisted living residences to appeal EOEA findings. The IDR

AHCA’s Virtual PDPM Training prepares AHCA members for PDPM and will mirror the in-person trainings that have been held for AHCA members in almost every state in recent months.

Annually, the Boston Globe’s Salute to Nurses recognizes caregivers whose “dedication and caring have saved lives, soothed fears, and eased the pain of countless patients and families." We are proud to recognize Mass Senior Care Association members who were honored in this year’s tribute. Caroline Ambros, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Hebrew SeniorLife Peitra Baker, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Hebrew SeniorLife Tricia Beaudoin, Hancock Park Rehab & Nursing Center Ellen Borden, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Hebrew SeniorLife Kirsten Brady, Sutton Hill Center, Genesis HealthCare

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Staff at Tremont Rehabilitation and Skilled Center in Wareham recently hosted State Representative Susan Williams Gifford, who spent time visiting with residents and discussing nursing home issues with facility staff. Left to Right: Administrator Mary Ann Liatsis, Admissions Coordinator Amy Lawrence, State Representative Susan Williams Gifford, Director of Nursing Nadine Rousseau, Housekeeping Linda Wager, Staff Development Bonnie McLaughlin, and Activities Director Nancy Perry.

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 April 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

To assist members in contemplating potential conversions of non-licensed space, please review the attached memo that provides additional detail and guidance on what the regulatory change means to your facility.

The Massachusetts Senate is currently working on its FY 2020 state budget and your local state senator has an opportunity to make budget decisions that will prioritize nursing home care.

The Department of Family and Medical Leave has issued the following updates: Employer Notice to Employees - The deadline for employer notice to employees has been extended from May 31 to June 30, 2019. The notice, which may be provided electronically, must include the opportunity for an employee or self-employed individual to acknowledge receipt or decline to acknowledge receipt of the information. Federal Employer Identification Number - The identification number assigned by the Department of Family and Medical Leave will

In response to concerns raised by Mass Senior Care, MassHealth has provided clarification that its April 1, 2019 Eligibility Operations Memorandum 19-05, Replacement of the Eligibility Review for Seniors and Certain People Needling Long-Term-Care Services (MER) form refers specifically to individuals who live in the community and are determined eligible using traditional MassHealth rules. MassHealth has indicated that this memorandum is not about the form to re-determine eligibility for individuals residing in Long Term Care/Skilled Nursing Facilities.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has adopted revised rates for services provided by temporary nursing to licensed hospitals and nursing facilities – 101 CMR 345/Temporary Nursing Services. The amendments establish the rate limits for temporary nursing agency services for each geographic region as purchased by hospitals and nursing facilities effective March 1, 2019.

On April 28, employees, residents, families, friends and community members came together to celebrate the 100 thanniversary of Chelsea Jewish Lifecare. Governor Charlie Baker recognized this momentous day by issuing a Citation in honor of this special anniversary. The non-profit organization operates campuses in Chelsea, Peabody and Longmeadow, Massachusetts, employing over 2,000 individuals and taking care of over 1,000 individuals every day. A highlight of the event was a heartfelt tribute to the 49 staff members who have worked at

As a follow-up to the April 18 guidance article on C. auris, the Department of Public Health hosted a webinar in June 2018, "Candida auris: A Fungus We Don't Want Among Us". C. auris remains rare in Massachusetts. There were no cases detected in 2018 and none to date in 2019. To view the webinar click here. To access the hand-outs, please click here.

Mass Senior Care extends congratulations to the 24 members who completed the Strategies for Success: Building Nursing Leadership course on April 18th. This group of individuals met once a week for 6-weeks, learning the fundamental building blocks of nurse leadership from experts in the long term care profession. Graduates included: Lauren Beckman, Lisa Braga, Tanya Cesar, Kate Columbus, Carin Degrenier, GuyChardine Fleurant, Laurie Hart, Paula Lawrence, Betty Lemite, Christina Loconte, Jamie McAdam, Rachael McCullough, Bailey McDonald, Jane Mute, Medjine Najac

The Massachusetts Culture Change Coalition invites you to participate in a new round of regional forums, designed to bring together long term care providers and other stakeholders interested in pursuing person-centered care. Regional forums serve as venues to share information and ideas about culture change and provide resources to help you get started or expand on your culture change journey. The focus of the Spring 2019 forums is to help providers learn how to offer residents person centered dining and

MassHealth requires that nursing facilities and chronic disease and rehabilitation inpatient hospitals account for the balances of personal needs allowance (PNA) account funds. MassHealth has issued its annual LTC Bulletin for the accounting of balances of personal needs allowances (PNA) for residents in LTC facilities. For 2018, if a provider does not submit the PNA form by Friday, May 31, 2019, or if the filing is incomplete and not reconciled to the bank statement, the provider may be subject to

Legislators from across the state visited Mass Senior Care facility members on the need to invest in quality resident care and staff for the FY 2020 budget. Mass Senior Care continues to encourage members to host legislative events which will allow elected officials to see firsthand the valuable services your facility provides. The Answering The Call To Care Campaign Toolkit provides a step-by-step guide on how your facility can host a successful event. State Senator Michael Barrett (D-Lexington) visits Palm

On June 3-4, AHCA/NCAL's Congressional Briefing offers members an invaluable opportunity to meet with Members of Congress. You will get an update on the latest happenings in long term and post-acute care on a national level, and then meet with your Congressman and their staff on Capitol Hill. Please contact Jennifer Chen at jchen@maseniorcare.org if you plan to attend.

Thanks to the tremendous effort of the nursing home community from across the Commonwealth, Mass Senior Care is pleased to report the House of Representatives adopted House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano's Nursing Home Investment Amendment #479 in its House FY 2020 budget recommendation.