The third and final public meeting on the 2016-17 Medicaid Nursing Home Payment Methodology was held by DHS in Madison on Tuesday, August 30.
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On August 30th, both Representative Kathy Bernier and Senator Terry Moulton took a trip to Thorp, WI to tour Oakbrook Health & Rehab. The Legislators met with administrator Sherry Goodman to discuss the workforce crisis and Wisconsin's abysmal Medicaid payments. In May, WHCA/WiCAL sent a standing invitation to legislators and their staff to tour a facility in their legislative district and gain a greater understanding of our member facilities’ ongoing efforts to offer the best skilled nursing care available.
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On Wednesday, August 31st, the Joint Audit Committee pledged to approve an audit of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King.
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Continuum is WHCA/WiCAL's semiannual magazine, which addresses current issues and concerns in the long-term care community. Continuum contains legislative updates and information pertaining to the top products and service suppliers serving Wisconsin providers. As such, Continuum has a very broad scope and reaches a wide array of different people, businesses, and professionals; Continuum is read by all of the leaders in Wisconsin’s skilled nursing and therapy center provider community, most assisted living providers, hospital discharge planners, as well as state and federal legislators, regulators and policymakers.
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Information and registration on the 65th Annual WHCA/WiCAL Fall Convention in Green Bay is now available! The Fall Convention Brochure has detailed information on all of the programs and activities available at this year's Fall Convention, which is being held October 19-21 at the Radisson in Green Bay.
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In a recent interview with the Wisconsin Hospital Association, Rep. Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah) references Wisconsin's low Medicaid reimbursement rates as a driving factor behind concerns in Wisconsin's health care system.
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The grace period for the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) ends on Oct. 1 of this year, just a month away. With the grace period ending, providers will now be required to use the correct degree of specificity in their coded claims starting October 1.
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Medicaid's improper payment rate was 9.8% for 2015, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That is nearly double what it was in 2013.
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Learn more about the Fall Convention's dedicated AL track and other AL-related programming!
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The Wisconsin Health Care Association and the Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living are pleased to invite you to sign up for the WHCA/WiCAL Gold Business Partner Package. By joining this exclusive group, you reach the most influential decision makers in Wisconsin's long-term care provider community. You will be visibly exposed to managers and department heads responsible for specifying, recommending, and approving purchases on behalf of their facilities. Make sure they know about your company! Don't miss this opportunity to be a partner with Wisconsin's long-term care provider community.
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Next week, WHCA/WiCAL will be holding a district meeting for Districts 9 to be held September 6th. This will be a great opportunity for members to network and discuss any concerns with John Vander Meer, Executive Director, and Brian Purtell, WiCAL Executive Director and WHCA/WiCAL Director of Legal Services.
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The current MDS 3.0 RAI Manual v1.14 and MDS form, effective October 1, 2016 is now available.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued the proposed annual Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2018, which proposes additional steps to strengthen the Health Insurance Marketplace. CMS is issuing this rule earlier in the calendar year in order to provide more certainty to the Marketplace as it continues to mature.
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The program, featuring Rep. John Nygren, Co-Chair of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, and Rep. Gordon Hintz, Joint Finance Committee member, will discuss the budget landscape for long-term care issues, including the Medicaid budget. Submit a question to be considered during the program's Question and Answer segment!
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This year WHCA/WiCAL has hosted five very popular Financial Affairs webinars and is scheduled to host the sixth and final of the year this month. Please join us on September 21 from 2-3 p.m. for a presentation by Mary Petersen of Specialized Medical Services on Medicare Billing and Collections: A Closer Look.
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MetaStar, Inc., in collaboration with the Wisconsin Association for Healthcare Quality, invites you to a 1.5 day session with nationally known instructor Susan Mellott, PhD, RN, CPHQ, FNAHQ, highlighting essential concepts for your health care quality practice.
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Members are encouraged to nominate worthy applicants for the WHCA/WiCAL Shining Star Awards, which will be presented during the 65th Annual Fall Convention, October 19-21, 2016. The no-exceptions deadline for nominations is September 9, 2016.
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In Wisconsin, 1/4 nursing centers have not yet registered, and more still have yet to submit their facility's data. As stated by CMS, simply registering by the November 14, 2016 deadline will not be considered sufficient, as per the Requirement of Participation. Facilities that fail to comply with the Requirement of Participation will be punished by CMS. As such, you must ensure that your facility has both registered/enrolled and to have at least began the process of submitting facility data.
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Medicare Learning Network will be holding a SNF Quality Reporting Program Webinar on Wednesday, September 14 from 12:30-2:00 pm CDT. Learn about the reporting requirements for the new Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP), effective October 1, 2016.
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The Wisconsin Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) in Long Term Care Coalition and the Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Quality Assurance (DQA), will host five educational workshops about urinary tract infections for healthcare personnel working in Wisconsin nursing homes.
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Here are some useful tips from the NALW planning guide for maximizing exposure during National Assisted Living Week!
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