As a reminder, all Massachusetts temporary nursing licenses will expire on December 31, 2022.  To continue to practice in Massachusetts after December 31, 2022, nurses now practicing with a temporary license, who have not already submitted an application for permanent licensure within the last year, must apply right away.    

Earlier this week, Governor-elect Maura Healey announced her first three senior staff Cabinet appoints to fill out her Administration. University of Massachusetts finance administrator Matthew Gorzkowicz will serve as secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, the state’s top budget official. Gorzkowicz previously served as the Senate’s budget director and he also served as assistant secretary for budget in Governor Patrick’s Administration.

The Biden Administration announced a COVID-19 Winter Preparedness Plan. The plan expands access to testing, vaccines and treatments, preparing for the impact of variants, cases and hospitalizations in local communities, and protecting the most-high risk Americans, including residents of nursing homes and other congregate living facilities.

The next 90 days are critical for the healthcare system due to the prevalence of three viruses, workforce shortages and hospital capacity issues. Governor Baker and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mary Lou Sudders have asked all providers in the Commonwealth’s health care system to assist in building capacity and ensuring timely throughput.

On Thursday, December 15, 2022, Mass Senior Care along with several members and other stakeholders held a roundtable discussion with Department of Health and Human Services Region 1 as well as central office representatives from HHS and CMS.

We are very pleased to report that EOHHS last Friday officially updated the Rate Year 2023 Medicaid Nursing Facility STANDARD case-mix rates and Medicaid nursing facility regulation to invest an additional $165 million in vital funding for a cumulative total investment of $306 million for Rate Year 2023, for the purpose of investing in our workforce and ensuring access to quality nursing facility care.

After a three year hiatus due to COVID-19, providers and associate members were happy to gather in-person at the Mass Senior Care Foundation’s Annual Fundraising Event held recently at Gore Place in Waltham.

As a reminder, all Massachusetts temporary nursing licenses will expire on December 31, 2022. The US Department of Health & Human Services has launched We Can Do This, a national COVID-19 public education campaign. MassHealth has re-issued the COVID-19 Preparedness Program Payments Bulletin with a technical amendment on the attestation form filing procedure for nursing facilities interested in filing for the incentive payment.

Yesterday, the DPH sent out additional information related to their request to CMS for an extension of the 1135 waiver of the requirements contained in 42 CFR §483.35(d) Training and Certification of Nurse Aides for Massachusetts SNF/NFs.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will be holding a conference call for LTC facilities on Wednesday, December 14 at 11:00 a.m. As a reminder, MassHealth last month issued the COVID-19 Preparedness Program Payments Bulletin specifying the criteria for nursing facilities to qualify for a one-time quality improvement supplemental payment in February 2023. Also, you are invited to join the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Massachusetts Assisted Living Association, and the Massachusetts Senior Care Association for a Roundtable Discussion on Strategies to Increase Bivalent Booster Rates in the Commonwealth’s Assisted Living Residences and Skilled Nursing Facilities.