News

Under CMS emergency preparedness regulations, nursing facilities are required to conduct two emergency preparedness testing exercises annually.

Based on the annual SNF Payment Rule which CMS released earlier this summer, new SNF Medicare rates for the second year of the Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) take effect on October 1. 

In a Notice issued Friday, HUD permits alternatives to group resident meetings required for the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD). For PHAs or owners undergoing a RAD conversion

National Adult Day Services Week will take place September 20-26 and is an opportunity to recognize this important service that supports both participants and their family caregivers.

CMS recently published a COVID-19 Public Reporting Tip Sheet detailing the SNF QRP public reporting strategy developed by CMS to account for quality data submissions

As we shared in last week’s newsletter, CMS has changed the COVID-19 Focused Survey for Nursing Homes tool to include the new testing requirements

Please join us for the next monthly HUD Member Regional Conference Call, scheduled for August 20 from 12-1 p.m. CST.

Join providers across the Nation to call on Congress to provide immediate relief to aging services providers.

We are severely disappointed that Congress did not reach an agreement on the next COVID-19 relief package.

On August 3, HUD’s Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) released a fully updated set of NSPIRE Inspection Standards for the physical inspection demonstration program.

The U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department (HUD) updated its Q&A for Multifamily Housing programs. The July 31 Q&A document relays HUD’s guidance on operational and procedural questions related to the safe administration of HUD-assisted programs during COVID-19. In the Q&A, HUD provides clarity on mask requirements for residents, testing requirements for residents, and management and occupancy reviews. Included in the updates: 

As we previously reported, the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) Form CMS-R-131 and instructions have been approved for renewal.  

A reminder that the temporary reporting relief outlined in the March 27 CMS memo for the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNF QRP) and SNF Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) program has expired as of June 30, 2020. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will share information on fiscal year 2021 skilled nursing facility payment policies during a Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)/Long Term Care Open Door Forum this Thursday, Aug. 6 at 1 p.m.  The full agenda will include:     

Application forms for the COVID-19 Supplemental Payment funds are due to HUD by Aug. 5. 

Relief funds for private-pay assisted living providers are under consideration by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 

A Republican proposal introduced in the U.S. Senate this week, the HEALS Act (Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools Act) includes measures that address liability protections.  

The U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department (HUD) released a memo last week outlining plans to allocate the $10 million in Service Coordinator funding approved by the CARES Act at the end of March. The funds will support approximately 1,600 properties with grant-funded Service Coordinator programs. The agency said they plan to issue guidance for budget-funded Service Coordination and other COVID-related expenses soon.  

A monthly call is now available for HUD provider members to join others in our region for news and discussion.  Minnesota joins with LeadingAge Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana for these meetings which are scheduled for the third Thursday of each month at noon. 

The Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, and instructions have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal.  The use of the renewed form with the expiration date of 06/30/2023 will be mandatory on Aug. 31, 2020.

On July 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance for states with respect to the home and community-based services (HCBS) Settings Rule. Citing the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS is extending key deadlines for compliance with the Settings Rule, including the final compliance deadline that is now March 17, 2023.