Thought Leadership
When it comes to thought leadership and staying informed, we’ve got you covered. See below for recent articles, webinars, and downloadable resources available.
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June 25, 2020
Effective Immediately: the CMS has made updates to the Nursing Home Compare Website and Five Star Quality Rating System. Under the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket waiver, CMS waived the requirements for submitting staffing data to the Payroll-Based Journal database (PBJ). CMS is ending this waiver and facilities are required to resume submission of staffing data […]
May 26, 2020
On April 10, CMS issued a proposed rule [CMS-1737-P] for FY 2021 that updates the Medicare payment rates and the quality programs for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). This proposed rule is part of CMS’s continuing efforts to strengthen the Medicare program by better aligning payment rates for these facilities with the costs of providing care […]
May 22, 2020
On May 22, CMS announced it has begun distributing billions in relief funds to skilled nursing facilities to combat COVID-19. This funding is to help nursing homes to address critical needs such as labor, scaling up their testing capacity, PPE and other expenses directly related to the pandemic. Distribution Methodology: Each nursing home will receive […]
May 18, 2020
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, on May 18, 2020, issued guidance for state and local officials to ensure the safe reopening of nursing homes nationwide. The purpose of these guidelines per CMS is to give guidance for states to take appropriate and necessary steps to ensure resident’s safety. One main objective of CMS […]
May 15, 2020
In response to State Medicaid Agency and stakeholder requests, CMS has updated the MDS 3.0 item sets (version 1.17.2) and related technical data specifications. These changes will support the calculation of PDPM payment codes on OBRA assessments when not combined with the 5-day SNF PPS assessment, specifically the OBRA comprehensive (NC) and OBRA quarterly (NQ) […]
March 23, 2020
On March 22, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is granting exceptions from reporting requirements and extensions for clinicians and providers participating in Medicare quality reporting programs with respect to upcoming measure reporting and data submission for those programs. This applies to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) […]
March 16, 2020
The Federal Department of Health and Human Services issued an updated memo on COVID-19 protocols from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) official, David Wright. The memo states: Facilities should restrict visitation of all visitors and non-essential health care personnel, except for certain compassionate care situations, such as an end-of-life situation. In those cases, […]
October 10, 2019
On September 29, 2019, CMS finalized a new rule focusing on the seamless exchange of patient information between health care settings by revising the discharge planning requirements that Hospitals and Home Health Agencies (HHAs) must meet in order to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. According to CMS’s Seema Verna, the final rule does not change […]
October 10, 2019
The Omnibus Burden Reduction (Conditions of Participation) Final Rule (CMS-3346-F) was published on September 26, 2019. This rule finalizes the following provisions that were in the proposed rule changes. The final rule will be published in the federal register on September 30, 2019. The effective date for these regulation changes are November 29, 2019. The […]
September 16, 2019
This calculator will compute the wage index adjusted individual daily rate and the cumulative total based upon paid SNF PDPM I/P Part A Medicare paid days for fiscal year 2020. The cumulative rate calculator takes into account the variable per diem adjustment for the Physical and Occupational Therapy (PT/OT) and the Non-therapy Ancillary (NTA) payment. […]
September 16, 2019
In July 2018, CMS finalized a new case-mix classification model, the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), that, effective beginning October 1, 2019, will be used under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for classifying SNF patients in a covered Part A stay. Visit CMS’s website for a variety of educational and training resources […]
August 21, 2019
CMS issued a proposed rule on July 30, 2019, with updates to the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM), Quality Reporting Program (QRP), and the Value Based Purchasing Program (VBP) for fiscal year 2020 ( beginning on 10/1/19 and ending on 9/30/20). See here for the final rule. The final rule was published in its official form […]
August 12, 2019
On July 30, 2019, CMS announced the Data at the Point of Care (DPC) pilot program. DPC will give clinicians that are participating in the pilot program access to claims data. Per CMS: “The claims data will fill in information gaps for clinicians, giving them a more structured and complete patient history with information like […]
July 30, 2019
On July 16, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Proposed Rule to reform the Medicare and Medicaid long-term care requirements that would provide changes and delay certain features of the Requirement of Participation (RoP). Additionally, CMS finalized a rule allowing nursing home operators to use arbitration agreements. CMS provides that the […]
July 01, 2019
Ever-changing regulations have brought new challenges and opportunities to Skilled Nursing Facilities. In this webinar, we explore key changes that are occurring and how to transform challenges into opportunities. Areas Explored: Quality Impacts PDPM Optimal Reimbursement ICD-10 Coding Critical Expertise Click here to view the recording. Click here to download the slides. If you have […]
Webinars
November 16, 2022
It has been a month since regulation for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS) rates went into effect. In the final rule CMS put in place a 4.6% PDPM (Patient-Driven Payment Model) parity adjustment to reduce overall spending to a budget-neutral […]
July 15, 2022
On July 7, 2022 the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the updated Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating Technical Users’ Guide with the methodology for the changes to the Staffing Rating and the Overall Quality Rating. Here is what your facility needs to know. Changes to the Staffing Rating CMS is basing the […]
May 04, 2022
It is that time of year again! The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the proposed rule that would update Medicare payment policies and rates for the fiscal year (FY) 2023’s Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). The Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) was implemented on October 1, 2019. This […]
January 25, 2022
On January 14, 2022, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updated the Technical Users’ Guide for the Care Compare Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System. While this information will be publicly reported starting in January, it will not be used in the Five-Star Quality Rating System until July 2022. Here is what you need to […]
November 17, 2021
President Biden’s administration recently announced its Path Out of the Pandemic action plan which included specific guidance around a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The action plan calls for employers with 100 or more employees to require employees to be vaccinated or submit to weekly tests, as well as requiring vaccinations for federal employees, contractors, and hospitals […]
November 11, 2021
Last week there were two new rules issued by the Biden administration regarding vaccine mandates. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an interim final rule (IFR), along with the Emergency Temporary Standards released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Providers Involved: Ambulatory Surgical Centers Hospice Agencies Psychiatric Resident Treatment Facilities […]
