Medicare Open Enrollment is from October 15 to December 7, 2021, and information for both aging services providers and Medicare beneficiaries in Massachusetts is available by clicking here.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering a web-based training course that provides an overview of the assessment and coding of Section O: O0100. Special Procedures, Treatments, and Programs. This 30-minute course is intended for providers in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and is designed to be used on demand anywhere you can access a browser.

MassHealth has asked provider associations to send to its members the following message on utilization of robotics processing automation on the Provider Online Service Center (POSC) MassHealth providers (including vendors and relationship entities) conduct day-to-day business with MassHealth electronically, via the Provider Online Service Center (POSC), point to point connectivity, and the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. All users must have an authorized MassHealth user ID and password to access these systems and must abide by the Virtual Gateway (VG)

The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DPML) has posted the following links over the last calendar quarter in regard to the most recent updates available on PFML.

On June 30, 2021, Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) released a memo concerning the launch of the online training course for providers to prevent and eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in accordance with state law, Chapter 19A, Section 43.

Orientation sessions for the MassMAP will be held on Wednesday November 3, 2021, 10:00 – 11:30 AM or Thursday November 4, 2021, 1:00 – 2:30 PM. The orientation sessions are for new MassMAP members as well as staff who are not familiar with the MassMAP and/or the MassMAP website.

MassHealth is conducting a Massachusetts Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) Training to provide information on upcoming changes to the PASRR process, which will come into effect by the end of this month. It is important to note that the training will be conducted in Microsoft Teams.

On October 15, 2021 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra extended the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for an additional 90 days. The new expiration date for the COVID-19 PHE is now set for mid-January 2022.

Hamel-Lydon Chapel, a Mass Senior Care Associate Member, offers its Compassionate Service Awards annually and accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. 10 award recipients are announced in the fall and Mass Senior Care is pleased to share that the following staff from member facilities have been selected this year.

Mass Senior Care Association was proud to nominate Larissa Lucas, MD FACP CMD HMDC, Medical Director Extended Care at North Shore Physician’s Group in Peabody, for the 2021 Schwartz Center National Compassionate Caregivers of the Year (NCCY) Award.