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.

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

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

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 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 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.

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