LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS

Today Was Our Last Weekly Webinar of 2020 – Here is What You Missed
Special guest speakers this week were Scott Brunner from KDADS and Kendra Strum with Senior RX Pharmacy. Stay up to date on what is happening at the state and federal level regarding all things COVID-19 and vaccinations.

If you are already registered, your registration is good through February 2021. If you haven’t registered yet, Here is the link to register .

Don’t Forget About These Other COVID-19 Resources Developed for LeadingAge Kansas Members

  1. Pre/During/Post Outbreak Checklist
  2. Emergency Staffing Checklist
  3. Pulmonary Assessment Skills for Nurses (video and competency checklist)

COVID-19 Safety for CNAs Training Registration Now Open  
Registration is open for the COVID-19 Safety for Long Term Care CNAs training series. You don’t want your team to miss this unique training opportunity designed specifically for your CNAs. This won’t be your typical listen and learn training. It will be interactive, engaging, relevant, applicable, and fun! This no cost training is funded by a Susan Harwood grant through OSHA. Spaces are limited so sign your team up today. 

Register or request more information here  or e-mail stephanie@leadingagekansas.org 

Sign your team up and let us take a little of the education off your plate.

This material was produced under grant number SH-99033-SH0 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Coping with COVID Group Meeting – Mondays at Noon
We are gaining momentum with our Coping with COVID group meetings. Any member’s employees can participate each Monday at Noon by registering here. Drop in if you get a chance.

Outbreak?
Let Dana dana@leadingagekansas.org know if you are experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak and we have not reached out to you, yet. We want to be here for you.

VACCINATION NEWS

Free AMDA Toolkit Available     
A free vaccination toolkit is now available from the American Medical Directors Association (aka The Society for Post Acute and Long Term Care). The toolkit is free, but you must register to access it.

LeadingAge Vaccine FAQ update – includes EEOC. 
We continue to update the FAQs daily.  Among other questions it includes updated guidance from the EEOC on what employers need to know about COVID-19 vaccines and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Although it lays out what providers need to follow if they institute a mandatory vaccination program, it did not answer the ultimate question of whether employers can mandate vaccines under the EUA provisions.  From what we are hearing from members, most providers plan to initiate a voluntary program because of all the requirements a mandatory program may entail as well as the workforce challenges and fears surrounding the vaccines.

Vaccine Billing Information from LeadingAge National FAQ

Q: If our organization participates in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, are we responsible for certain costs?
A: According to the CDC, there will be no cost to the facility for participation in the pharmacy partnership program. It is anticipated that participating pharmacies will bill public and private insurance for the vaccine administration fees.

Q: Will there be any additional administrative fees charged by CVS or Walgreens?
A:No, and any rumors to the contrary are incorrect. The administrative fee will be paid by the program. CVS and Walgreens are absolutely NOT sending any kind of bill or balanced billing to providers. They cannot bill providers and they cannot bill the people who are immunized. They cannot charge for onsite clinics.

Q: Will vaccine recipients be billed?
A: No balance billing is permitted. Those receiving vaccines through the Partnership cannot be billed. The pharmacy partner, CVS or Walgreens, will ask for a photocopy of the individual’s insurance card and then bill Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance or the HRSA uninsured program. (updated 12/10/2020)

Q: What if the individual cannot pay?
A: No one will be turned away for not being able to pay. Pharmacies are not allowed to turn away people who cannot pay. The pharmacy will vaccinate the individual and then bill the HRSA uninsured program.

Vaccine resources from CDC
Our partners at CDC shared a number of resources with us today that we want to be sure everyone is aware of. In order for our nation’s vaccination strategies to be effective, folks actually need to get vaccinated. With vaccine hesitancy high, one of the best ways to address concerns is by sharing information and dispelling myths. These resources can help:

STATE NEWS

Updated Information on State Testing Strategy and Regional Labs
KDADS has provided updated materials on the listing of designated regional labs, capacity changes and new FAQs. 

Free PPE Still Available Through State Portal – December 23rd Deadline
Make sure to check the state PPE portal to spend all the dollars allocated to your nursing home, assisted living, homes plus accounts by December 23rd. The portal is available on the KDADS website.

FEDERAL NEWS

$24.5B in Phase 3 Provider Relief Begins Arriving Dec. 16th
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week that they began distributing the Phase 3 General Distribution of Provider Relief Funds(PRF) to 70,000 providers. The Phase 3 payments ensure providers receive up to 2% of their annual patient services revenue and 35,000 of these providers are also approved for an add-on payment estimated to cover 88% of their reported first and second quarter lost revenues and net change in expenses caused by the coronavirus. Read more.

Long-Term Care Holiday Guidance
As we progress through the December holidays, both CMS and CDC wish to remind us that all guidance and precautions are still in effect. The CMS alert on holidays is here. The CDC guidance on winter holidays can be found here and general travel guidance is available here.

CDC Guidance on Ventilation in Buildings
CDC updated information and tactics to improve ventilation in buildings. The webpage includes a list of ventilation interventions that can help reduce the concentration of virus particles in the air, such as SARS-CoV-2. They represent a list of “tools in the mitigation toolbox,” each of which can be effective on their own.  Implementing multiple tools at the same time is consistent with CDC mitigation strategies and increases overall effectiveness. These ventilation interventions can reduce the risk of exposure to the virus and reduce the spread of disease, but they will not eliminate risk completely.

LEADINGAGE NEWS

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Nicole Schings
Nicole Schings is the Director of Member Services and Business Development. Nicole joined the association in 2018, and oversees our Member Services program, our Partnership and Associate Member relationships, and our online education system. A graduate of Washburn University, Nicole uses her 22 years of experience in the association world to enhance the support of our members, problem solve their issues and bring new partners into the LeadingAge Kansas family. Outside of work, Nicole is passionate about geocaching and moments spent with her dog, Blu. You can reach Nicole directly at 785.670.8048.

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