ACTION REQUIRED
Nursing Home Administrators: REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the KS NH ECHO
The KUMC Project ECHO team is proud to launch the AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network Project in Kansas this November. Many Kansas nursing homes have responded to the NH ECHO interest form, and registration is now open. Registration is a two-step process:
- Nursing home administrators need to register each nursing home that will participate in the ECHO by using this link: https://redcap.kumc.edu/surveys/?s=PFLH4AMP9X
- After nursing home administrators register, facilities will be assigned to a cohort based on scheduling preferences. Identified team members will then receive individual registration links. Each team member must complete the individual registration to attend the ECHO sessions.
Please register as soon as possible. Nursing homes will be assigned to their preferred cohort days/times based on the order of registration (e.g., nursing homes that register early will have first choice of cohort assignment). Each cohort will include 33-35 nursing homes. Cohort information:
- Tuesday afternoons, 1:30-3:00 PM CST. Launches: November 10, 2020
- Wednesday mornings, 10:00-11:30 CST. Launches: November 4, 2020
- Wednesday afternoons, 1:30-3:00 PM CST. Launches: November 4, 2020
Please share this message and the registration link with your fellow nursing home administrators.
STATE NEWS
Make Plans to Attend the Visitation and Testing Webinars This Week
KDADS will present a webinar on visitation on Tuesday, October 27th at 11 AM. Register for free here.
Additionally,KDHE and KDADS will present a webinar of COVID-19 testing on Thursday, October 29th at 11 AM. Registration is free.
Please send questions that you would like the presenters to address if possible to debra@leadingagekansas.org. She will make sure they are forwarded on.
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Weekly Webinar This Friday
Here is the link to register for the October 23rd Weekly Webinar. We will be giving updates on the current state of COVID at the state and federal levels.
Have a topic recommendation or an idea for a poll? Let us know.
FEDERAL NEWS
Feds Change Their Tune – Now Require POC Testing on NHSN. Nursing Homes are Now Required to Report Point-of-Care Testing Through NHSN
This requires SAMS level 3 access. CDC has provided a list of nursing homes that currently have only Level 1 access, and need to upgrade to Level 3 here. CDC/NHSN have been reaching out to providers via email over the past several weeks to initiate the upgrade process. If a provider is not currently in the process of upgrading to Level 3, they should reach out to NHSN immediately by emailing nhsn@cdc.gov. IMPORTANT NOTE: This does not change the requirement for Kansas nursing homes to report to KDHE. This will be a point of discussion with KDHE and KDADS.
HHS Pharmacy Partnership. LeadingAge was part of a small group that attended a Q&A session with HHS officials on the Vaccine Partnership. Here are a program overview and FAQ document from HHS on the initiative. Top take homes:
- All places where older people live in congregate settings are included and should apply.
- There is lack of clarity about “independent living.” LeadingAge is working on getting clarity.
- It is unclear whether affordable housing will be included. We know that HUD and CDC officials are talking.
- The program is optional. Long-term care pharmacies or any other pharmacies that want to participate need to be enrolled in the state system and approved by the state.
- Health care workers are the top priority and older people in residential settings the second highest – based on the assumption that the HHS/FDA Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices sets those priorities (which is expected).
- Staff at sites where an on-site program is being conducted (e.g., a congregate residential place where older people live) should be immunized through the infrastructure set up by the state, but if that is not possible or does not happen for some reason, they may be immunized as part of the on-site program.
- The ultimate goal is to provide vaccine to every American at no cost, but supplies will be limited at first, hence the prioritized groups of people.
More as we know more.
Provider Relief Q&A
Our thanks to Bob Dick and Kailey Riskowski of Bland & Associates for assisting us with fielding reimbursement and provider relief questions from the membership.
Question: When applying for phase 3 funding, can we apply using our combined financials for AL and NH OR do we apply separately OR is AL even eligible??
Answer: Assisted living and nursing facilities are both eligible provider types for phase 3 funding. There is no clear-cut guidance to address this scenario, however, assuming there is only one tax identification number (TIN) for the entire CCRC, you could submit one application, which includes the combined operating revenues and expenses of the AL & NF. The amount of revenue you report will come from line 9 (page 1) of your most recently filed 990, which likely includes both your AL and NF revenue (as further broken out in Part VIII, Section 2, of the 990 form) (as described here) and then further on in the application, in the operating revenue and expense sections, you would include the combined patient care revenue and expense from the NF & AL, if that is what reconciles back to your combined financials that you submit as support in fields 17 and 18.
LEADINGAGE NEWS
HHS Provides Answers to LeadingAge Questions on New Vaccine InitiativeLeadingAge participated in a question and answer session with HHS officials leading the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program for COVID-19 Vaccination. On the call HHS officials clarified a number of issues. They started by restating that the program is optional for providers of congregate residential settings for older people. Further, the plan is contingent on both an FDA emergency use authorization for a vaccine; and a statement from the FDA Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, saying that older people are a top priority.
They made clear that HHS’s intention is to make the CVS-Walgreen’s initiative a turn key operation. CVS and Walgreen’s will receive the vaccine from HHS, everyone who administers it will be COVID tested and have PPE, and CVS/Walgreen’s will take care of all the reporting and IT. The pharmacy chains will be paid through Medicare and Medicaid for administering the program, but not for the vaccine itself since HHS is providing that. Read more.
Other Important Information from LeadingAge
