On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and her leadership team will provide updates​ on the CMS Strategic Vision, key 2021 accomplishments, and 2022 goals.

MassHealth has extended the deadline for responses on the agency’s Health Equity Requests for Information (RFIs) to February 4, 2022:

EOHHS has issued a Notice Opportunity to Participate in the Care Model Focus Initiative (CMFI) Core Team for the One Care Program. The agency is seeking up to five individuals to participate on the Core Team to examine the Care Model domains associated with the One Care program.

MassHealth has issued a reminder that Nursing Facility Bulletin 170: HST Brokerage Transportation for Members in Nursing Facilities is now posted to the MassHealth Nursing facility Bulletin website. The link to download the bulletin can be found here: download (mass.gov). 

On January 7, 2022, CMS posted QSO memo 22-08-NH indicating it will begin posting staffing turnover and weekend staffing levels for each nursing home on the Medicare.gov Care Compare website​ in January and add the measures to the staffing domain of the Five Star Rating system in July 2022.   

The DPH has provided important reminders for Long-Term Care Facilities on the Reporting of Influenza and Influenza-Like Illness. As in past years, long-term care facilities should report influenza-like illness (ILI) clusters (three cases of ILI in residents), or one lab-confirmed case of influenza in a resident, by faxing a 2019 Teleform to 617-983-6220.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) in April 2021 adopted revisions to the LTCF licensure regulations that included a provision that facilities must meet a requirement to have no more than 2 beds in a room by April 30, 2022.

Mass Senior Care is reminding members that MassHealth will issue a one-time supplemental payment to nursing facilities if 75% of the facility’s eligible staff members receive a COVID-19 vaccine third dose or booster dose by January 16, 2022.

In an ongoing effort to support members with the accuracy of NHSN reporting, Mass Senior Care confirmed that facilities, when completing the Weekly Healthcare Personnel COVID-19 Vaccination Cumulative Summary Question #1, should only include HCP that were eligible to have worked at this healthcare facility for at least 1 day during the week of data collection, and Mass Senior Care is reminding members that MassHealth will issue a one-time supplemental payment to nursing facilities if 75% of the facility’s eligible staff members receive a COVID-19 vaccine third dose or booster dose by January 16, 2022.

The DPH in April 2021 adopted revisions to the LTCF licensure regulations that included a provision that facilities must meet a requirement to have no more than 2 beds in a room by April 30, 2022. The regulations included a provision allowing facilities unable to fully comply to demonstrate that they have made good faith efforts to try to comply with the regulation by the deadline.