News

Get equipped to battle the threat of cyber breaches with a new resource from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources (HHS) that showcases the five biggest threats and the 10 best practices for aging services providers. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced changes to Medicare Advantage plans that are designed to spur greater competition, improve quality and lower costs to attract beneficiaries. 

LeadingAge national has launched Regulatory Roundup 2.0, a quick and easy tracker to help find pertinent rules and federal regulations that cover all grounds for members across the long- term services and support continuum.   

The federal government shutdown has struck the U.S. House and Urban Development Department (HUD) faster than expected. HUD did not renew 650 rental assistance contracts up for renewal in December, and there are an additional 500 contracts up for renewal in January that will not be renewed. 

The inappropriate use of anti-psychotic medications among nursing home residents has continued to decline, according to the latest report by the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a new report that provides six key steps nursing homes can take to avoid preventable harm. The report comes out just as LeadingAge Minnesota is preparing the final details of its Safe Care for Seniors Programs that is set to launch in just a few short weeks. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a new State Medicaid Director Letter titled 10 Opportunities to Better Serve Individuals Dually Eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. 

More home health agencies (HHAs) than skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have adopted electronic health records (EHRs), according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). 

The federal government remains in a partial shutdown, which could impact affordable housing as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is one of the federal funding bills in limbo. It is unclear at the time we distributed this newsletter how long the shutdown will last. This articles provides some details on what a shutdown means for affordable housing funding, plus an update on a new hemp law and funding for Alzheimer's education. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking comments on draft guidance intended to streamline the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and other health information technology (IT). Comments are due Jan. 28.  

A 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) approved in October will begin with benefits payable to more than 62 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2019. 

LeadingAge national has submitted comments to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expressing opposition to its proposed rule broadening the factors used in public charge determinations, meaning whether a legal immigrant would become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.   

LeadingAge national has submitted comments to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expressing opposition to its proposed rule broadening the factors used in public charge determinations, meaning whether a legal immigrant would become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.   

Two new reports shed more light on how Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) evaluated offering the new benefits for 2019 Medicare Advantage plans. The conclusion? Few plans – only 102 – are testing the new benefits in 2019, with more looking to offer some new Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) in 2020. The report also note that challenges remain. 

Nursing Home Compare has a whole new look after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added five of six Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (QRP) measures to the site on Nov. 28. While the measures are listed under the Quality of Resident Care tab with the other measures of short-stay quality, they are not used to calculate a Skilled Nursing Facility’s Quality star rating. The newly reported measures include:                 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released individual Skilled Nursing Facilities results from the first year of Value-Based Purchasing (VBP). Under VPB, rates are adjusted based on Skilled Nursing Facility-specific hospital readmission rates. 

The personal needs allowance for nursing facility residents is increased annually by the social security COLA. In the coming year, social security benefits will increase by 2.8 percent, so the personal needs allowance will increase from $99 this year to $102 for the year starting Jan. 1, 2019.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide information on the Patient Driven Payment Model, the recently-released Nursing Home Staff Competency Assessment toolkit, and other issues during a Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long Term Care Open Door Forum onThursday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. 

A recently introduced bill in Congress would extend soon-to-expire federal spousal impoverishment protections for spouses of people receiving Medicaid home and community-based services.   

LeadingAge has filed comments in support of the U.S. Department of Labor's proposal to eliminate restrictions on the operation of patient lifts by nursing home employees under the age of 18.