Parkinson Testifies Before Senate Committee During Hearing on Elder Abuse

Earlier this week, Chairman Grassley and the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing focused on abuse and neglect in skilled nursing facilities.
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CMS Proposes RoP Phase III Changes; Comment Period Now Open

The public comment period on the proposed rule is now open, and the deadline to submit a public comment is 4 p.m. Central on Monday, September 16.
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Don't Delay, Register TODAY for the Wound Treatment Associate Program

F686 (prevention of pressure injuries) is the #2 cited tag in Wisconsin as of close of Q2 2019 and is tied with accident prevention for the tag most commonly cited at an IJ level in Wisconsin.
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CMS Issues Proposed Rule that Would Amend the Medicaid Equal Access Rule

Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would rescind a 2015 rule that requires states to submit “access review monitoring plan” (Access Plan) when submitting a state plan amendment requesting changes to their fee-for-service rate methodologies.
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Honor Your Staff -- Submit a Shining Star Award Nomination Today!

WHCA/WiCAL is pleased to continue celebrating the great work of Wisconsin’s hard-working long-term care providers with the 2019 Shining Star Awards.
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AL Forum to be Held Next Week in Racine

The DHS-DQA Bureau of Assisted Living will be holding one of its regular Assisted Living Forums next week in Racine.
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Health Care Built Environment Committee Updates

The Health Care Built Environment Committee (HCBE) held a meeting earlier this week and provided updates on the Department of Health Services and the DQA Office of Plan Review and Inspection.
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WisCaregiver Career Program Updates -- July 2019

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services yesterday released an update on the WisCaregiver Career Program. 
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2020 AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Applications and Criteria Series Available Aug. 1

Become the best in quality and get ready for the 2020 AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program cycle! It’s just around the corner – applications and the criteria series will be available August 1, 2019.
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Help Plan WHCA/WiCAL's 2020 SNF Webinar Series with Proactive Medical Review

Help us plan the 2020 webinar education offerings that best meet your needs! Please complete this 1-minute survey to share feedback on the training topics of greatest interest to your team.
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Important Reminder on FY-2020 Payment Rule Reconsideration Requests

Facilities that will be submitting reconsideration requests to CMS for the FY 2020 Annual Payment Update (APU) for SNF are reminded that any documentation submitted for review that includes protected health information (PHI) will not be accepted, nor reviewed for reconsideration.
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Onward and Upward: Register Today for the WHCA/WiCAL 68th Annual Fall Convention

Registration is now open to explore the final frontier, WHCA/WiCAL 68th Annual Fall Convention and Expo: Thriving in the Brave New World of Long-Term Care.
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Upcoming FREE Webinar: Livanta: BFCC-QIO Appeals, Quality of Care Complaints and Provider Responsibilities

Livanta has scheduled a webinar August 8, 2019 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. entitled "Livanta: BFCC-QIO Appeals, Quality of Care Complaints and Provider Responsibilities."
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WCCEAL Update -- Congratulations to Members Submitting Quality Variable Data

Congratulations and thank you to the following assisted living PEAL members for submitting 2nd quarter 2019 WCCEAL Quality Variable Data.
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Welcome New Select Business Partner: Gordon Food Service

WHCA/WiCAL is pleased to welcome our newest Select Business Partner, Gordon Food Service.
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With Less Than 100 Days Until PDPM Implementation, Are You Ready?

There are less that 100 days until implementation of PDPM. This is the most significant overhaul in reimbursement policy in years, and consultants recommend starting to use the ICD-10 codes that they will use after the implementation of PDPM starting. Are you ready for PDPM? Is your Facility?
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Workers' Compensation Rates Projected to Decrease

According to Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable, Wisconsin workers' compensation rates are set to decrease in 2019, due in large part to declining rates of injuries in the workplace. This will be the fourth year in a row that rates have decreased.
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