ACTION ALERT
Tell Congress to Prevent Medicare Payment Cuts Today
Congress must act now to prevent cuts to Medicare across all provider types due to congressionally mandated cuts to programs. In order to ensure that our nation’s aging services can continue to provide quality care and not be subjected to billions of dollars in cuts during this ongoing pandemic, we ask that Congress take action before April 1, 2021, to:
- Extend the 2% Medicare sequester moratorium.
- Prevent the projected 4% Medicare spending cut (approx. $36 billion) scheduled to begin next year due to Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) statute reductions.
STATE NEWS
Important KDADS/KDHE LTC Zoom Webinar This Friday at 2:00 PM
KDADS and KDHE invite you to attend a webinar on Friday, March 26th from 2 to 3 PM on COVID-19 testing and vaccine support. Topics will include:
- Updates on testing support
- Updates and questions about the Adult Care Home visitation guidance
- Updates on antigen test offerings
- Check in on the testing status report
- Testing, vaccine, and visitation FAQs
Target audience: Nursing homes, Assisted Living/Residential Health Care, Homes Plus, Hospital LTCUs
Send questions that you would like addressed to Scott Brunner at Scott.Brunner@ks.gov. Presenters will also take questions via the chat function of Zoom.
Join the Zoom Meeting here.If you can’t join via Zoom, the call-in number is 312.626.6799. Passcode: 332431. Meeting ID: 858 3008 0996.
TNA to CNA
If you are having trouble getting your Temporary Nurse Aides into a CNA course, check with dana@leadingagekansas.org.
VACCINE NEWS
CDC MMWR on Vaccination Effectiveness in SNFs
CDC released an MMWR last week that studied effectiveness of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in 2 Connecticut SNFs experiencing outbreaks between their first and second on-site vaccination clinics. Records review indicated that the COVID-19 vaccine was 63% effective at preventing infection among partially vaccinated residents (defined as residents who were 14 days post-vaccination for the first dose up to 7 days post-vaccination of the second dose). This finding is consistent with rates in the general population. While this finding indicates that there is some protection from only a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine, CDC continues to recommend that all individuals and in particular individuals living in skilled nursing and nursing facility settings receive both doses of the Pfizer vaccine for maximum protection.
FEDERAL NEWS
OSHA Launches National Emphasis Program
On March 12, the United States Department of Labor (DOL)/OSHA issued a National Emphasis Program – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) . The NEP targets industries that pose a high risk of COVID 19 hazards to employees. Health care providers including nursing homes, assisted living and continuing care retirement communities are included in the NEP. A complete list of industries is listed in Appendix A and B. Inspections may begin as early as March 26. The NEP also ensures anti-retaliation protection for employees.
In the Interim Enforcement Plan for COVID 19, OSHA will implement the DOL’s Workplace Safety Plan to reduce the risk of COVID 19 transmission during inspections, prioritize inspections involving deaths or multiple hospitalizations due to COVID 19 exposure in the workplace; and perform on-site inspections when practical.
CDC Distributing Vaccine Doses Directly to LTC Pharmacies
We’ve been advocating with CDC every chance we get for them to distribute vaccine doses directly to long-term care pharmacies. They told us today that this past Thursday they sent 14,000 doses to the hundreds of LTC pharmacies enrolled in the Retail Program. They sent another 14,000 today and will continue to send doses every week, as needed. CDC will determine how much to send by keeping in close touch with LTC pharmacy partners. Provider organizations do not have to have been part of the Pharmacy Partnership. This is a new program and has nothing to do with the Partnership. Any organization that already has a LTC pharmacy relationship, for example a PACE provider, will benefit from this. In addition, LTC pharmacies are free to offer services or clinics to other aging services provider types, using these doses. States can still allocate additional doses to LTC pharmacies and/or in other ways to connect doses to people who use and work in aging services.
…and More Supply, Coming Soon
CDC also told us today that supply of vaccine doses will increase dramatically in April and May because all three manufacturers are ramping up production. Increasing numbers of doses will be sent to states. The CDC lead staffer talking about vaccines specifically noted that many states are working on plans to help hospitals routinely vaccinate people before discharge; states are also exploring ways to get people vaccinated before they enter long-term care/aging services settings.
NHSN Focus Group
NHSN users are receiving emails about participating in a focus group studying experiences of CNAs and Environmental Services staff in nursing homes. The emailed invitation is being sent to the person listed in NHSN as the Facility Administrator and is from the Prevention and Response Branch of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC. LeadingAge checked with CDC – this is a legitimate request and members can feel free to participate in the focus groups.
New HUD Guides for Multifamily Housing Released
On March 22nd, HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing released new tools for residents and owners. HUD has a new guide for tenants and owners, “Rights and Responsibilities for Tenants & Property Owners” and a new guide for tenants, “Managing Your Finances During COVID-19 Pandemic.” The Rights and Responsibilities guide is an easy-to-read breakdown of HUD and CDC guidance with “rights and responsibilities” columns for owners and tenants on several COVID-19 topics: keeping units safe, keeping common areas safe, accessing units for repairs or inspection, eviction protection, protections and accessibility modifications for people with disabilities, and moving. Read the new Rights and Responsibilities for Tenants & Property Owners here in English and here in Spanish. Read the new Managing Your Finances During COVID-19 Pandemic here in English and here in Spanish. Read the article here.
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Join Us For Our Popular Friday Webinars @ 10 AM
If you aren’t registered for our webinars, you can do so here. They are a must attend and keep you on top of everything going on regarding COVID and now the 2021 Legislative Session.
Next week, we will feature Dr. Scott Latimer from Sunflower Health Plan talking about COVID-19 update and Vaccinations.
LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS
Nursing Home Round Table Advisory Group Meeting
The LeadingAge national Nursing Home Round Table Advisory Group will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 30th at 1 PM Central. The featured speaker is Kara Jacobs Slifka from CDC to talk about long-term care guidance. The agenda also includes policy updates from Jodi and Janine and member discussion of trending issues and questions. Nursing home providers and other members of LeadingAge who want to join the monthly discussion of the Nursing Home Round Table Advisory Group can email Jodi (JEyigor@leadingage.org) to sign up for the group and receive the zoom details as well as be notified of future meetings.
THANKS TO OUR PLATINUM PARTNER
