Medicaid Access Rule Could be Expected in April 2024
CMS is aiming to finish reviewing all comments that were received on the Medicaid Access Rule by Spring according to the Office of Management and Budget. If all goes according to plan (not by...
OSHA Rule Requiring Submission of Injury and Illness Data Takes Effect January 1st
Effective January 1, 2024, a U.S. Department of Labor final rule released in July 2023 will require certain establishments, including aging services, to electronically submit injury and illness information to OSHA on an annual basis. ...
PACE Expanded Act Introduced in House
On December 5th, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) reintroduced a bill that would remove barriers to PACE program growth. Under this bill, PACE organizations in states that elect to allow any...
MedPAC Hospice Recommendation Includes No Payment Update
On December 7th, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission discussed recommendations for hospice payment in 2025. The commissioners finalized a recommendation for no payment update for hospice services, the payment recommendation will be finalized in...
MedPAC Recommends 3% Cut to SNFs
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met December 8th to review post-acute provider payment adequacy including Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). This is part of their annual responsibility to make recommendations to Congress. It should...
House Passes HCBS Expansion Bill for Veterans
On December 5th, the Elizabeth Dole Home and Community-Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act of 2023 passed the House by a vote of 414-5. The bill would increase the cap on non-institutional alternative...
CMS Releases Interim Final Rule to Curtail Procedural Medicaid Disenrollments
Included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 were provisions that allowed states to resume Medicaid eligibility terminations in April of 2023 along with data reporting requirements. CMS has used these data or failure...
Bipartisan Group of Senators Tells CMS More and Better Data Needed on Medicare Advantage
LeadingAge applauds the December 7th bipartisan letter sent to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure from Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Catherine Cortez Mastro (D-NV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) calling for more transparency in...
New Legislation Introduced to Strengthen the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) introduced new legislation to strengthen the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America...
MDS Updates
MDS v 1.19.1 will take effect October 1, 2024. The update will include 3 changes: removal of the self-care/mobility discharge goal item based on finalization of measure changes in the FY 2024 SNF PPS...
Nursing Home Survey Testing
CMS announced on the SNF Open Door Forum on December 7th that they will begin conducting survey testing on select surveys over the next few months and into 2024. State survey agencies will be...
LeadingAge President and CEO Authors Open Letter to Speaker Johnson
Katie Smith-Sloan sent an open letter to newly selected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson highlighting the ever-growing population of adults over sixty-five and the need for bold leadership to ensure older Americans age...