On Monday, April 11th, CMS released the proposed rule,
FY 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNFs) Prospective Payment System Rate Update and Quality Reporting Requirements (CMS-1765). Due to the proposed parity adjustment, CMS estimates that the net market basket update would decrease Medicare SNF payments by approximately $320 million.
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On Thursday, April 7, CMS issued
QSO-22-15-NH & NLTC & LSC - Update to COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Waivers for Specific Providers. The memo announced that CMS is ending some (not all) COVID-related 1135 waivers, including federal waivers which allowed for the creation of Emergency and Temporary Nurse Aide Training Programs here in Wisconsin. These employment and training flexibilities will end 60 days from the publication of
QSO-22-15-NH & NLTC & LSC.
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President Biden announced last week that 100,000 people forced to flee Ukraine can seek safe haven in the United States, and beginning April 25, they can apply to come here under a government program known as “Uniting for Ukraine.”
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This week, CMS published in the Federal Register a
proposed rule entitled, M
edicare Program; Implementing Certain Provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Revisions to Medicare Enrollment and Eligibility Rules. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) includes proposed changes to Medicare eligibility, including elimination of the Medicare coverage waiting period under specific circumstances, as well as new Special Enrollment Periods (SEP).
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The AHCA/NCAL awards program is back in 2022!
Nominations open May 2 and run through July 1, 2022. Read More
Nursing Home providers are invited to attend quarterly communication forums hosted by the Division of Quality Assurance (DQA), Bureau of Nursing Home Resident Care (BNHRC) regional offices. BNHRC representatives will answer your questions and provide updates on areas of interest to nursing home providers. All meetings will be held virtually.
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During the past two years, the pandemic has forced us to focus on the infection control measures surrounding the pandemic. As we move forward, the basics of a comprehensive Infection Control program may need to be rebooted. This program will review elements of a comprehensive Infection Prevention and Control program. Requirements for antibiotic stewardship will also be reviewed as well as methods to track medications prescribed to treat pathogens. Various tools & resources will be shared as well as at least one in electronic format.
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Join AHCA/NCAL for a four-part interactive workshop and get all of your questions answered by their Quality Award knowledge experts.
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Wisconsin continues to receive allocations of the COVID-19 oral antivirals Paxlovid and Lagevrio (molnupiravir). Long-term care residents continue to be at risk of serious illness from COVID-19, it is strongly recommended that facilities connect them to one of these treatments authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration. If prescribed and then taken within five days of symptom onset, these medications substantially decrease the likelihood of serious illness and death. In particular, in clinical trials, Paxlovid showed an 88% decrease in severe illness and death.
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WHCA/WiCAL has designed this Leadership Academy for the unique needs and demands of health care professionals. Professionals at any stage of their career are invited to join this cohort-based model for an immersive experience unlike other training and development opportunities you may have experienced. You and your peers will engage in the exploration of fundamental leadership skills and behaviors, and then apply your learning in the workplace as “homework”. In addition to growing confidence, personal efficiency and effectiveness will emerge.
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Hear from Herzing University’s Lisa Carr about ways to creatively attract and retain employees. The webinar will discuss best practices in collaborating with community-based organizations, attracting diverse new talent, building an internal structure to support talent growth and finding funding mechanisms to achieve organizational goals.
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WHCA/WiCAL is pleased to once again present Emergency Preparedness: Tabletop Exercise Webinar for facilities to be ready for the requirements of the Emergency Preparedness Rule. Participants will receive a brief overview of the rule and then have the opportunity participate in and complete a tabletop exercise simulating the process necessary for emergency response as required under the Emergency Prep Testing Requirements (Tag 0039).
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AHCA/NCAL’s Congressional Briefing is back in 2022 and it’s time to
register! Mark your calendars for June 6-7 and join AHCA/NCAL at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.
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The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is strongly encouraging nursing homes to report the number of skilled nursing facility (SNF) beds available in their location each day to EMResource as part of a bed tracking system. With the daily reports from nursing homes, DHS hopes the “SNF bed tracker” will provide a real time picture of bed availability across the state, which hospitals can use as they work to identify potential post-acute care placements for their patients.
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