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News related to "nursing homes"
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DOL Recovers $28.6 Million in Back Wages and Penalties in LTC Settings
On December 1, 2022 by Mark Schulz
The US Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division announced it had recovered more than $28.6 million in back wages and damages for nearly 25,000 workers since it launched a focused initiative in 2021. The effort has led to assessments of almost $1.3 million in civil monetary penalties for employers who willfully violated federal law. The most common violations discovered by investigators were failures to pay overtime or federal minimum wages and misclassifying employees as independent contractors.
Reimagining Infection Control
On December 1, 2022 by Mark Schulz
An article published on Nov. 15 in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA) discusses the need to reimagine infection control within nursing homes to keep pace with rising acuity and multiple comorbidities in today’s residents to remain effective.
Really Big Book of Nursing Home Regulations Pre-Order Notice
On November 17, 2022 by Mark Schulz
The thirteenth edition of the Really Big Book of Nursing Home Regulations is finally here and ready to go! It is now available for pre-order.
HHS OIG to audit for Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations from Care Centers
On October 27, 2022 by LeadingAge
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG), a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced an additional investigation as part of its 2022 work plan. Its added focus will be on whether skilled nursing facility residents were hospitalized with certain conditions and whether the facility provided services per the resident’s care plan and professional standards of practice.
DHS Releases RFP for Consultant to Advise on Case Mix Transition
On October 27, 2022 by Jeff Bostic
Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) hire a consultant who will review the RUGS-IV case mix system used in the state's Value-Based Reimbursement (VBR) care center payment system under Medicaid.
DHS Announces Plan for Care Center Rate Notices for 2023
On October 27, 2022 by Jeff Bostic
Most care centers will receive an official rate notice for 2023 in January, according to a Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announcement.
CMS Announces Immediate, Aggressive Enforcement for Special Focus Facilities (SFF) Participants
On October 25, 2022 by LeadingAge
On Friday, Oct. 21, CMS announced new actions "to significantly strengthen accountability for nursing homes in the Special Focus Facilities (SFF) Program." According to the White House press release, the "SFF Program already provides more frequent inspections of these nursing homes, but more action is needed to ensure these nursing homes improve."
NLRB Issues Notice to Change the Joint Employer Standard
On October 13, 2022 by LeadingAge
On Sept. 6, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking. The rule will change the standard for when two employers who do business together are considered joint employers and are, thus, liable for one another's unfair labor practices under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Resident, Staff, and Visitor COVID-19 Screening
On October 6, 2022 by Kari Everson
On Sept. 23, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updates to multiple COVID-19 infection prevention and control practices. One of the areas that required further clarification was screening practices for residents, staff, and visitors. On yesterday's call, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) clarified these practices for providers.
Preventing Ingestion-related Adverse Events
On September 15, 2022 by Julie Apold
LeadingAge Minnesota has recently updated a Property/Grounds Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Tool (Ingestion-related events) as a guide to conduct regular safety checks to ensure that your property and grounds are maintained in a safe and sanitary manner.
Updates from CMS on Staffing Standards Study in Nursing Homes
On August 11, 2022 by Anna Mowry
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that, due to the significant response to the Request for Information on establishing a minimum staffing standard, it will conclude the staffing study in December. Initially, we expected the study to be part of the recently-issued final 2023 Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System rule.
HHS Announces Proposed Rule to Strengthen Nondiscrimination in Health Care
On July 18, 2022 by LeadingAge
On July 25, the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights (OCR), issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise regulations relating to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics), in covered health programs or activities.
COVID-19 Reporting Changes in Effect
On July 14, 2022 by Kari Everson
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires nursing homes to report facility resident and staff COVID-19 case numbers to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s (CDC) National Health Safety Network (NHSN) weekly.
Effective July 1, certain products containing THC are now legal in Minnesota.
On July 7, 2022 by Erin Huppert
One of the final bills to clear the Legislature in May contained a little-debated provision with potentially significant implications. Beginning on Friday, July 1, Minnesotans aged 21 and older can purchase liquids and consumable goods containing small amounts of cannabidiols (CBD) and/or THC. THC is the ingredient in cannabis that produces a “high.”
Election Season Question: Can Political Candidates Access Older Adults in Aging Services Communities?
On July 7, 2022 by Erin Huppert
It's not just the weather heating up: election season is upon us, and candidates seeking elected office in November are hitting the pavement to meet potential constituents. Under Minnesota law, political candidates should be granted access to multi-unit dwellings used as residences, including nursing homes, assisted living buildings, and independent living. Candidates are also permitted to leave materials behind, though nursing homes may require that materials are left at a central location.
COVID-19 Testing: Resource Roundup and MDH Upcoming Changes
On June 30, 2022 by Kari Everson
Testing residents and staff for COVID-19 became a standard throughout the pandemic, and guidance frequently changed, which gives way to uncertainty on current guidance and recommendations for testing requirements, test interpretation, and test procurement.
CMS Relaxes Frequency of Inspection for Vaccination Requirement Compliance
On June 16, 2022 by LeadingAge
This week, CMS announced that survey oversight of the staff vaccination mandate for Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers will continue to be performed during initial and recertification surveys but will now only be performed in response to complaints alleging non-compliance with this requirement, not all complaint surveys. This news comes after CMS determined that 95% of nearly 12,000 providers and suppliers surveyed by states have been in substantial compliance with this requirement.
With New Booster Guidance, What Does “Up-to-Date” Mean for LTC
On June 9, 2022 by Kari Everson
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated recommendations for an additional COVID-19 vaccination booster (fourth shot) on May 24. The updates provide a recommendation for a second booster for those people 12 and older if they are moderately to severely immunocompromised and individuals 50 years of age and older.
LeadingAge Minnesota Comments on OSHA COVID Standard
On May 26, 2022 by LeadingAge
LeadingAge Minnesota submitted comments this week urging OSHA not to make its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19 a permanent part of the regulatory landscape.
DHS Temporarily Waives Supervision Requirements for Background Study Subjects
On May 10, 2022 by LeadingAge
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is temporarily waiving mandatory direct contact supervision requirements for new hires while their fingerprint-based background studies are being processed. The waiver remains in effect until June 30.