News

Updated from original content posted on Monday, May 8

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. The CDC updated sections on recommendations for universal source control and admission testing and added an appendix section to help organizations determine when to implement broader use of source control. In response to the CDC guidance release, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an update to QSO 20-39-NH REVISED, essentially adopting the CDC guidance.

On May 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published QSO-23-13-ALL. The document provides nursing homes with an update regarding the end of the public health emergency (PHE) and how it impacts regulatory blanket waivers and interim final rules (IFR).

On May 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will publish an Information Collection Request (ICR), a request for public comment on a specific topic, as part of a proposed rule about revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system.

On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance for mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Going forward, bivalent vaccines will be administered for all immunization doses, and the monovalent (original) vaccine is no longer available. This updated guidance does not include Novovax or Johnson and Johnson Janssen. These continue to be monovalent vaccines, and the schedule remains the same.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released its 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule. It includes several proposed SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) changes. 

Our national partners at LeadingAge continue to push forward with the Aging Services Workforce Now advocacy campaign launched last year. A recent member workforce poll conducted by LeadingAge showed the shortage of caregiving professionals across aging services is still a true crisis that is not improving. That's why it's critical that we tackle our workforce challenges at every level of government, including in Washington, DC.

On March 30, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released QSO-23-10-NH, which rescinds QSO-20-31-NH and provides updated guidance on enforcement for infection control non-compliance. As a result, enforcement actions are more severe than before when cited under F880 and/or F887.

On March 28, US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee to discuss the President’s FY24 budget proposal. Top aging services issues were discussed, such as the Three-Day Hospital Stay Requirement, Nursing Home Mandatory Staffing Ratios, and Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).

During National Patient Safety Awareness Week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) highlighted their renewed focus on patient safety because harm is still too common and often preventable in a blog published on its website. Progress in patient safety has significantly declined since the beginning of the pandemic erasing previous patient safety gains.

On March 9, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the Annual Adjustment Factors (AAFs) for 2023, which adjusts rents for certain Section 8 housing assistance payment programs.

This past week Argentum held its annual Public Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.  The public policy event started on Monday afternoon and culminated with staff advocacy visits with Congressional officials in both the U.S. Senate and House on Wednesday.

A bill introduced by US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Jon Tester (D-MT), along with Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) to add assisted living services to veterans benefits.

Following two years of advocacy from LeadingAge, our national partner, on behalf of affordable senior housing communities, a raft of supportive services for older adults can now be more easily accessed and funded with the publication of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidance last month.

On Feb. 10, US Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Bob Casey (DFL-PA) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (DFL-OR) sent a multi-member letter to CMS regarding upcoming regulations to create a minimum staffing standard.

Continuing with its desire to strengthen its ability to examine nursing home ownership types, including private equity and real estate investment trusts, on Feb. 13, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to gather such data.

On Feb. 10, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Admin Info memoranda 23-06-NH revising guidance to Chapter 5 of the State Operations Manual (SOM).  The memo’s revisions include changes to the maximum timeframes for state survey agency (SA) investigations into complaints and facility-reported incidents, and the expansion of SA’s data entry requirements into the federal ASPEN Complaints/Incidents Tracking System (ACTS).

On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP) into law.

On Tuesday, LeadingAge released its “Get Real on Ratios” effort to advocate for a realistic federal minimum staffing requirement reflecting the reality of current staffing and funding crises.

On Jan. 31, HUD posted a preview version of its final rule implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), which Congress enacted in 2016. HOTMA was a bipartisan bill that sought to streamline aspects of HUD’s rental assistance programs, including by making changes to resident income calculations and reviews.

As more providers continue to look at applying for an Employee Retention Credit (ERC), LeadingAge, our national partner, has developed a Frequently Asked Questions document that covers issues around eligibility and applying for those funds.