The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing a video tutorial that depicts a scenario that demonstrates the interview of a resident and subsequent coding of D0200. Resident Mood Interview (PHQ-9©) and D0300. Total Severity Score

The next CMS Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. The agenda will include: Opening Remarks, FY 2022 SNF PPS Proposed Rule - FY 2022 Annual Rate Updates, SNF Quality Reporting Program, SNF Value Base Purchasing.

Join Mass Senior Care in advocating for quality nursing facility care in the state FY2022 budget. State investments are critical to ensuring nursing facilities have the resources needed to pay frontline staff a deserving hero wage and maintain ongoing infection prevention efforts that have resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of COVID related infections and deaths in nursing facilities.

Members are informed about the MassHealth Nursing Facility Bulletin 163 to update the requirements for submitting staff hours and staffing preparedness information, changing the reporting requirements from a bi-weekly basis to a monthly basis and the DPH weekly call.

Information on CDC interim infection prevention and control recommendations, MassHealth survey on nursing facility care specialization & medical transportation, CMS guidance for emergency preparedness regulations, and repayment of COVID-19 accelerated and advance payments began on March 30, 2021.

Stories of our long term care heroes are more important than ever to share. Mass Senior Care is requesting caregiver stories of our long term care heroes which will be featured in the Mass Senior Care E-News Update and highlighted in weekly communication with lawmakers. We are interested in interviewing long term care staff of all positions that have a story to share about working in nursing facilities or long term care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mass Senior Care reminds nursing facilities that the DPH has resumed annual recertification surveys. Nursing facilities should review their survey readiness protocols and procedures. Mass Senior Care would appreciate nursing facilities providing immediate feedback to Helen Magliozzi, Director of Regulatory Affairs upon the completion of an annual survey.

Two new resources from AHRQ are part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect nursing home residents and staff from COVID-19. Both are intended to support the use of observational audits, which help facilities understand if staff members are fully complying with infection prevention practices.

The Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) has issued a 2020 nursing facility cost report deployment update indicating that the 2020 HCF-1 (nursing facility), the REA-CR (the realty company) and the MGT-CR (management company/central office) cost reports and associated instructions and user manuals are now available for submission on the Center for Health Information and Analysis' (CHIA's) website at Information for Data Submitters: Nursing Facility Cost Reports.