Member Update: MassHealth SUD Attestation - Signed Form Due March 12th; REMINDER: Authorization to allow nursing practice by use Graduate Nurses and Nursing Students expires March 31, 2024

Memorandum To: Mass Senior Care Members From: Tara M. Gregorio, President Re: Member Update: Monthly DPH Provider Call on February 14, 2024 Date: February 9, 2024 The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) will be holding a conference call for long-term care facilities on Wednesday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m. If you have any questions for DPH ahead of this meeting, please send your questions to dph.bhcsq@massmail.state.ma.us by Tuesday, February 13. Call-in information:　 Phone Number: 877-688-2596 Participant Code: 3029619

With the transition to PDPM for payment of MassHealth nursing facility claims now into its fourth month, Mass Senior Care is receiving real time data on the new auditing process for these assessments and is offering members the opportunity to learn firsthand from providers who have recently undergone the audit process.

RVRS has updated the timeline for the new electronic death reporting system. The new system is on track for a tentative April 2024 launch of the death certificate module of the Massachusetts Vital Records Information Collaborative (MAVRIC) system.

CMS will temporarily pause distributing Comparative Billing Reports (CBRs) and Program to Evaluate Payment Patterns Electronic Reports (PEPPERs).

Rest Homes have until February 15, 2024, to report health care personnel (HCP) COVID-19 vaccination data.

On January 25, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Request for Information regarding various aspects of the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program for the purpose of increasing transparency.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts yesterday issued a report on MassHealth estate recovery policies comparing Massachusetts’ policies to other states.

Nearly 3,000 people living in the state’s emergency shelter system, many of whom are migrants recently entering Massachusetts, have obtained the work authorizations required for employment.