E-News Update Articles

Due to the upcoming holiday weekend, this year's AHCA Silver Award notification date will be moved from Friday, June 30 to Thursday, July 6. Please mark your calendars with this change. The new date will ensure that AHCA has the resources to provide exceptional service and be responsive should members need assistance when they receive the notification. Source: AHCA

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has issued Administrative Bulletin 17-11/Nursing Facility User Fee Update, which amends the Per Diem User Fee, effective July 1, 2017. Effective July 1, 2017 dates of service, the user fees have been reduced to the following: Facility Group Per Diem User Fee Effective July 1, 2017 Group 1 $20.40 Group 2 $2.04 Group 3 $2.04 Group 4 $0.00 The new user fee reflects EOHHS’ projection to generate $240 million for the

Massachusetts Senior Care Association’s 2017 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been mailed out to Nursing Facility Administrators. The deadline to return the survey has been extended to Friday, July 14, 2017. Mass Senior Care member providers have traditionally used the results of this survey to help them assess their wage and benefit packages. The aggregate survey data also enable us to document the costs associated with staff recruitment and retention, health insurance coverage and other factors as we continue to

The Board of Registration in Nursing (Board) will no longer issue license renewal reminders or paper licenses beginning with the 2018 renewal period. The Board will use email to communicate renewal reminders and important changes in statute, regulations and policies related to nursing. Please note that requiring a hard copy of a license is not a state or federal law. As stated in the BORN memo, “Licensure status can be verified by accessing the Board of Registration in Nursing (Board)

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) earlier this week issued a Notice of Proposed Agency Action that would continue the current Medicaid user fee rate of payment to facilities at $17.59 per day on July 1, 2017, instead of temporarily reducing it to $15.47 per day pending enactment of the SFY 2018 budget.

Mass Senior Care Association has partnered with our national association, American Health Care Association (AHCA) to help you meet the new Infection Preventionist specialized training requirement finalized by CMS in the Reform of Requirements of Participation for Long Term Care Facilities. This Infection Preventionist Specialized Training (IPCO) course provides education for healthcare professionals who seek to serve as Infection Preventionists. Individuals who complete the course will be trained to effectively implement and manage an Infection Prevention and Control Program at

In response to concerns raised by a variety of business groups, health care providers and legislators, on June 20, 2017, Governor Baker proposed a comprehensive Medicaid Reform Plan which would significantly revise his original SFY 2018 budget provision that would have imposed a $2,000 per full time equivalent employee assessment if the employer did not meet certain health insurance contribution and uptake requirements. The Governor’s intent is that this Plan be considered during the ongoing Conference Committee deliberations for the

The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Review and Correct reports are available on demand in the CMS Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) application. Log into the CMS Network using your CMSNet user ID and password to access the “Welcome to the CMS QIES Systems for Providers” webpage, then select the CASPER Reporting link to locate your reports. These reports: Contain quality measure information at the facility level Allow providers to obtain aggregate performance for the

Mass Senior Care Association has joined the Massachusetts Coalition for Elder Economic Security, a newly formed collaborative initiative of 25 organizations including advocates, health and research groups and, community and labor representatives to ensure economic stability and protection for Massachusetts seniors. On June 20 th, the Coalition on Elder Economic Security kicked off a legislative briefing hosted by Senator Barbara L’Italien, the new Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs. The Coalition has reported alarming statistics that show 6

Beginning the morning of June 30 th, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs will centralize the Elder Protective Services abuse report intake system (elder abuse hotline) to a single phone number, connecting the caller to a call center with specially trained intake workers here in Massachusetts. The 24/7 single phone number will simplify the process for elder abuse reporting. All calls made to 1-800-922-2275 (day or night, 7 days a week) will go directly to the Massachusetts-based call center, regardless

As noted in our June 19 th e-mail message to members, Mass Senior Care was informed earlier this week by Assistant Secretary for MassHealth Daniel Tsai that the agency will not make any hardship payments for May dates of service under its Cash Management Temporary Payment Delay, because of an unanticipated increase in the SFY 2017 budget shortfall. As you know, MassHealth last month had notified nursing facility providers via a message text that it will delay by approximately two

Massachusetts Senior Care Association’s 2017 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been mailed out to Nursing Facility Administrators. Please complete the survey and return it to Mass Senior Care by Friday, June 30, 2017. Mass Senior Care member providers have traditionally used the results of this survey to help them assess their wage and benefit packages. The aggregate survey data also enable us to document the costs associated with staff recruitment and retention, health insurance coverage and other factors as we

Mass Senior Care Association has partnered with our national association, American Health Care Association (AHCA) to help you meet the new Infection Preventionist specialized training requirement finalized by CMS in the Reform of Requirements of Participation for Long Term Care Facilities. This Infection Preventionist Specialized Training (IPCO) course provides education for healthcare professionals who seek to serve as Infection Preventionists. Individuals who complete the course will be trained to effectively implement and manage an Infection Prevention and Control Program at

Earlier this week state legislators voted to place on the 2018 ballot a constitutional amendment to increase taxes on high earners. The amendment would impose an additional tax of 4 percent on annual income of more than $1 million. The amendment, if ratified by voters, is projected to generate $2 billion in new revenue. The Massachusetts Senior Care Association strongly endorsed the legislators’ action. In a letter to legislators prior to the vote, Mass Senior Care Association President Tara Gregorio

In March 2017, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) (Form CMS-R-131) for another three years. The only change to the current form is the new March 2020 expiration date. Starting June 21, 2017, providers are required to use the new form, but they also can begin using it immediately. As background, the ABN - Form CMS-R-131 - is issued by providers (including independent laboratories, home health agencies, and hospices), physicians, practitioners, and suppliers

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 May 2017. This new file is meant to replace the updated LEIE database file available for download last month. Individuals and entities that have been reinstated to the federal health care programs are not included in this file. The updated files are posted on the OIG’s website

As part of the November 2017 Federal 1115 Waiver approval, Governor Baker’s Administration last week announced that it has selected 18 health care organizations across the state to participate in MassHealth’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program beginning January 2018. The 18 ACOs, networks of physicians, hospitals and other health care providers will work together to provide integrated health care for their patients with the goals of improving their health and containing costs. These ACOs are expected to cover over 900,000

Massachusetts Senior Care Association’s 2017 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been mailed out to Nursing Facility Administrators. Please complete the survey and return it to Mass Senior Care by Friday, June 30, 2017. Mass Senior Care member providers have traditionally used the results of this survey to help them assess their wage and benefit packages. The aggregate survey data also enable us to document the costs associated with staff recruitment and retention, health insurance coverage and other factors as we

The Emergency Preparedness Final Rule was released on Friday, September 16, 2016. On June 2, 2017, CMS released the Emergency Preparedness Interpretive Guidance (IG). Mass Senior Care nursing home members are encouraged to look through the interpretive guidance as providers will need to comply with the final rule by November 2017.

On Monday, June 12 th, the ChangingAging Tour made its first of four stops in Massachusetts at JGS Lifecarein Longmeadow. This national tour is led by Dr. Bill Thomas, founder of The Eden Alternative and creator of The Green House®. The sold-out event featured two non-fiction theater performances designed for people living with dementia and their caregivers.

On May 10, 2017 the Massachusetts Public Health Council approved revisions to the following State regulations: 105 CMR 155.000 Patient and Resident Abuse Prevention, Reporting, Investigation, Penalties and Registry - Changes in 105 CMR 155.000 include more consistency in the terminology and definitions for regulated parties, including “Nurse Aide” and “Registry”; a more predictable and streamlined process for reporting; inclusion of requirements for policies and procedures related to completion of training; and aligning 105 CMR 155.000 with other health care

On June 2, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to dismiss the pending preliminary injunction (PI) hearing in AHCA v Price (previously Burwell). It means nursing facilities may continue to use pre-dispute arbitration agreements until the litigation is decided on its merits at the district court. Please click here to read a summary in AHCA’s Provider Magazine.

Fifteen Mass Senior Care member facilities are being recognized with a 2017 Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The award is the first of three distinctions possible through the AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program, which honors long term and post-acute care providers that have demonstrated their commitment to improving the quality of care for seniors and persons with disabilities. “We thank the caregivers and staff for enriching

Massachusetts Senior Care Association’s 2017 Nursing Facility Employment Survey has been mailed out to Nursing Facility Administrators. Please complete the survey and return it to Mass Senior Care by Friday, June 30, 2017. Mass Senior Care member providers have traditionally used the results of this survey to help them assess their wage and benefit packages. The aggregate survey data also enable us to document the costs associated with staff recruitment and retention, health insurance coverage and other factors as we

The SFY 2018 Appropriations Conference Committee held their first meeting on Monday. The Conferees are charged with reconciling the differences between the House of Representatives and Senate's SFY 2018 budget recommendations. The Conferees meet as state revenues for SFY 2017 are down by more than $450 million, which has put added pressure on the SFY 2018 budget. Mass Senior has sent letters to the Conference Committee on the following issues that would impact long term care in the SFY 2018

Hebrew Senior Life and The Boston Home, both members of Mass Senior Care Association, were recently recognized by CareerSTAT for making outstanding investments in the skills and careers of their frontline workers. Hebrew Senior Life encompasses nine campuses caring for 3,000 individuals on a daily basis, has been designated as a Frontline Healthcare Worker Champion for its success in reducing overall employee turnover and increasing employee satisfaction through the integration of recognition programs, tuition assistance and career coaching opportunities. The

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer.

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer. For more information about MassCAP, please visit their website at www.themasscap.org.

A patient safety program has helped nursing homes cut rates of urinary tract infections among patients with catheters, according to new results published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality gave funding to more than 400 nursing homes and long-term care facilities to implement a comprehensive safety program developed to reduce infections among patients with catheters. The program includes training for staff on how to care for and remove catheters and how to improve communication with

As the legislature prepares to reconcile the differences in their SFY 2018 budget recommendations, Beacon Hill leaders are working diligently to address an immediate SFY 2017 budget shortfall due to tax revenue shortfalls. Mass Senior Care is urging Governor Baker to avoid cuts in MassHealth funding for nursing home care. The Baker Administration has identified in financial disclosure forms that it now expects tax collections for fiscal 2017, which ends June 30, to fall between $375 million and $575 million

The majority of patients in LTC settings fall each year and the costs related to medical care and human suffering are prohibitive. A team at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Partners HealthCare developed the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) program for use in acute care hospitals and demonstrated a 25% reduction in falls. The team is now looking for skilled nursing facilities to participate in a fall prevention project that aims to collaborate with skilled nursing staff and

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a SNF QRP Quality Measure User’s Guide. This manual presents methods used to calculate quality measures that are included in CMS’s Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP). This manual provides detailed information for each quality measure, including quality measure definitions, inclusion and exclusion criteria and measure calculation specifications. View the manual on the SNF Quality Reporting Program Measures and Technical Information webpage in the downloads section.

The Requirements of Participation under 42 CFR 483.10 (g) (4) and (5) Information and Communication require nursing homes to inform residents of their rights including providing them with the name, address (mail and email) and telephone number of the protection and advocacy agency for the state, posting this information within the facility and providing it on the Notice of Intent to Transfer and Discharge. The Disability Law Center which is the protection and advocacy agency of individuals with disabilities in

The presentation for the June 15 th National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and QAPI MLN Connects call has been changed. The call will now focus on learning about appropriate assessment and evaluation for the accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Also, find out about the work of the Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organizations (QIN-QIOs) and how their efforts align with the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes and Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI)

As a reminder, MassHealth has notified nursing facility providers via a message text that it will delay by approximately two weeks processing nursing facility claims for May 2017 dates of service. This effectively means that nursing facility payment for May 2017 claims received by MassHealth in May or June will be pushed from late June to July 10, 2017. As you may recall, MassHealth has applied this temporary cash management delay for the last seven fiscal years. As in the

Nursing facilities across the Commonwealth celebrated National Nursing Home Week, which recognizes the role of skilled nursing care centers in caring for America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. This year’s theme, “ The Spirit of America,” honored the bond shared among staff and residents through special events and activities that capture the American spirit. For additional photos, please visit Mass Senior Care’s Facebook. Residents renewed their wedding vows at Queen Anne Nursing Home in Hingham Michael and Mary Corrente celebrating

On May 1, 2017 the Massachusetts State Fire Marshall issued a Memorandum that in accordance with 780 CMR 1008.1 and 527 CMR 1.00: 14.4.2.1 egress doors must not be obscured by decorations, mirrors, or other means of concealment or disguise. Egress doors must be readily distinguishable from the adjacent construction and finishes and must be easily recognizable as doors. Joanne Murphy, DPH LSC Unit Supervisor confirmed that in both the 2012 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and 105CMR 150.000 that

On May 22, 2017 the Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly announced his decision to extend—for an additional six months—the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti. This extension is effective July 23, 2017 through January 22, 2018. The agency’s press release indicates that this extension may end after six months as it states that “The Department of Homeland Security urges Haitian TPS recipients who do not have another immigration status to use the time before Jan. 22, 2018

Webster Park Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, a member of Marquis Health Services and Mass Senior Care Association, recently unveiled the completion of an $8 million expansion and renovation – a transformational project that brings a dedicated, modernized Post-Acute Care Unit (PACU), an advanced therapy gym, and enhanced cardiac and pulmonary care services to the South Shore community. The new, 12,500-square-foot sub-acute care unit includes 23 beds in 11 private rooms and six semi-private rooms. The renovation added a 2,300-square-foot therapy

The state Senate completed its version of the State Fiscal Year 2018 (SFY 2018) budget late Thursday evening. We are pleased to report that Senator Bruce Tarr’s amendment providing statutory protection for residents living in skilled nursing facilities built before 1968 and residents living in rooms with more than two roommates was adopted. The amendment passed on a voice vote and had widespread bi-partisan support. Senators Tarr and Julian Cyr spoke on the floor in support of the amendment and

MassHealth has issued two documents providing additional information on its MassHealth Third Party Administrator (TPA) Vendor for Long Term Services and Supports(LTSS) Fee-for-Service (FFS) Program: • MassHealth All Provider Bulletin 270 (May 2018) - Third-Party Administrator Implementation for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) • MassHealth Long-Term Services and Supports Third-Party Administrator FAQ Effective May 31, 2017, the MassHealth LTSS Provider Service Center will begin answering phone calls and LTSS provider questions, including resolving issues with claims submission, conducting provider enrollment

At the May 10, 2017 Board of Registration in Nursing (Board) meeting, the Board revised Advisory Ruling (AR) 0901: Management of Pain to ensure compliance with current statutes, regulations and scope of practice standards. The AR guides the practice of the LPN, RN and APRN in promoting patient access to appropriate, therapeutic and effective assessment, diagnosis and management of acute and chronic pain; improving communication about benefits and risks of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain; promote safe, effective multimodal

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome our new Associate Members. Our Associate Members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and participating as exhibitors and sponsors for events and educational conferences. Mass Senior Care members are encouraged to contact Associate Members when they are in need of long term care products and services. Facility Member: Savoy Nursing and Rehab Center, of New Bedford, MA, a 39 bed skilled nursing facility. Contact

Mass Senior Care has received notification from several of our members that during both Standard and Complaint surveys, facilities are being cited for failing to report alleged violations involving abuse, neglect or mistreatment, including injuries of unknown source and misappropriation of resident property, immediately, but not later than 2 hours after the allegation is made, if the events that cause the allegation involve abuse or result in serious bodily injury. These citations are specifically for “not reporting within 2 hours”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week issued a notice extending the reporting deadline for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting (QRP) Federal Fiscal Year 2018 payment determination from May 15, 2017 to June 1, 2017, due to extenuating circumstances. The MDS assessment data for October-December (Q4) of calendar year 2016 are due with this submission deadline. In addition, the CMS contractor (CORMAC) or the QTSO help desk sent notices last week to many SNF providers that

The Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP) is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, June 14th, "Activities: Not Just Fun and Games, A Look At Our Interdisciplinary Role to Resident Care." The workshop will be held at Pines Edge Health Center at North Hill in Needham and is open to all activity professionals. Discounted seminar fees are available for MassCAP members, please click here to view the registration flyer. For more information about MassCAP, please visit their website at www.themasscap.org.

On May 16th, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its state FY 2018 budget recommendation. The Committee’s recommendation includes level funding for the current year $35.5 million direct care add on and would establish a temporary employer health contribution that would generate $180 million, while providing the Governor’s Administration broad authority to execute the program including allowing an exception for nursing facilities. We urge members to continue participating in the Legislative Action Alert asking their senators to co-sponsor

Earlier this week a number of Mass Senior Care members today informed us that their MassHealth remittance advice for April 2017 dates of service indicated that some portion or all of their billed claims were being pended and would not be paid next Monday, May 22nd. We raised this issue with MassHealth and MassHealth indicated that this resulted from a glitch in the claims processing system for April 2017 dates of service and that it would re-run the payroll to

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has released a Situation Awareness Alert on the drug Carfentanil. Massachusetts does not currently have any reported cases, but the Situation Awareness Alert is being distributed by DPH due to the significant safety risk Carfentanil poses to the public, healthcare providers, and emergency response personnel. Included in this Alert is an overview of the drug and its current impact in the New England region, as well as treatment and response guidance and resources. In

MassHealth has notified nursing facility providers via a message text that it will delay by approximately two weeks processing nursing facility claims for May 2017 dates of service. This effectively means that nursing facility payment for May 2017 claims received by MassHealth in May or June will be pushed from late June to July 10, 2017. As you may recall, MassHealth has applied this temporary cash management delay for the last seven fiscal years. As in the past, MassHealth has