MassHealth has requested that Provider Associations send to their membership the following message in regard to the Virtual Gateway Terms and Conditions.

The FY 2020 budget act authorizes the Direct Care Staff Payment at $38.3 million. Please note that EOHHS has issued Administrative Bulletin 20-03 specifying the compliance criteria and reporting requirements for the 2020 Nursing Facility Direct Care Staff Payment Program.

Healthcentric Advisors, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, invites you to participate on Tuesday February 4, 2020 (10-11 AM) to explore the current threat of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs).

Governor Baker yesterday released his FY 2021 budget recommendation and proposes an alarming $30 million cut in nursing home funding (line item 4000-0641). This proposed cut is disappointing and fails to reflect the nursing facility financial and workforce crisis that is currently threatening the viability of the nursing facility sector.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated list which reflects all OIG exclusions and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in December 2019. This new file is meant to replace the updated List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) database file available for download last month.

Clusters of gastrointestinal and respiratory illness in a LTCF or ALR are reportable to the Department of Public Health upon their initial identification, and can be reported using the Gastrointestinal Illness or Influenza/Respiratory Illness Cluster Form.

Are you new to your facility? Do you know about the Massachusetts Long Term Care Mutual Aid Plan (MassMAP) or need a refresher?

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences and Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality will host an educational webinar on healthcare personnel influenza vaccination for long-term care facilities.

Earlier this week, the legislature assigned the Nursing Home Funding Ballot Initiative (House Bill 4304) to the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs. A public hearing on the bill is expected in the next few weeks.