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September 19, 2019

WHCA Submits Comments on Proposed RoP Phase III Changes

CMS released a proposed rule in July that is intended to ease some of the pressures of the Requirements of Participation (RoP) and delays implementation of portions of Phase 3 by a year. The public comment period on the proposed rule closed on Monday, September 16. WHCA/WiCAL President & CEO John Vander Meer submitted a letter to CMS on behalf of members.
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Important Direct Care Workforce Funding Dates Announced

The Direct Care Workforce funding initiative from the 2017-2019 state budget is winding down. If you participated in the initiative and received funding there are several important dates to be aware of to ensure none of the money you received is recouped.
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New RAI Manual Released, Upcoming RAI/MDS Educational Forum Announced

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.17.1. Please click HERE to view the manual. This version of the MDS 3.0 RAI Manual incorporates clarifications to existing coding and transmission policy; it also addresses clarifications and scenarios concerning complex areas. The new RAI manual will take effect October 1.
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New CMS Arbitration Regulations Are Now in Effect Despite Legal Maneuvers

The long term and post-acute care profession is reminding providers that new arbitration regulations released earlier in the summer by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have gone into effect as of Sept. 16, stressing that separate legal actions concerning arbitration issues do not impact the implementation process.
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Congressional Letter to Heads of CMS and HHS on 3-Day Stay Requirement and Observation Stays Issue

Last week, U.S. House of Representative Members, Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), wrote to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Honorable Alex Azar, and to the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Honorable Seema Verma, on the three-day stay requirement and observation stays issue. In the letter, Reps. Courtney and Thompson specifically noted to the agency heads, “This year, we ask if you intend to use your authority to once and for all remove this inequitable, longstanding, and bureaucratic barrier to care.”
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AHCA Committee Nominations Open

September 17 through October 21, AHCA members in good standing may nominate themselves or another member to serve on an AHCA committee for the 2020/2021 appointment term.
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What Is NOT Changing with SNF PPS PDPM

As skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) prepare for the transition to the new Medicare Part A reimbursement system, Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), understanding what is not changing may be as important to appropriate care and reimbursement success as insight into the new requirements.
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PDPM: Decrease Potential Billing Errors and Promote Accurate Reimbursement

On October 1, WHCA/WiCAL's Moving Mountains webinar series will feature a webinar to review best practices to decrease potential billing errors and promote accurate reimbursement for PDPM claims through internal interdisciplinary auditing processes. Key roles of interdisciplinary team members in completion of a collaborative triple check process and key data collection, billing, and monitoring process pertinent to PDPM will be emphasized.
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Sepsis Awareness Month: Why Each Person Matters

In observance of Sepsis Awareness Month, Dr. Denise Cardo, director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, highlights CDC’s efforts to protect patients from sepsis and how our partners have impacted this work in a new Safe Healthcare blog post.
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