FEDERAL NEWS

IMPORTANT – CDC Overhauls Guidance for all Healthcare
CDC has streamlined guidance for healthcare settings into 3 main source documents.  LeadingAge Staff is confirming with state officials about applicability in Kansas. Stay tuned.

1. Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is the main source document for healthcare providers and settings. CDC advises us that this guidance should be used in settings where healthcare is provided, including places like assisted living where healthcare is provided by home health.
2. CMS has issued a revised memo QSO-20-38-NH-REVISED to adopt the following recommendations for testing.  
   1. Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Nursing Homes will continue to be the main source document for nursing homes and long-term care settings. Updates to this guidance include changes to recommendations around testing in nursing homes.
3. Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is the source document for determining when staff should be restricted from work and when staff can return to work. This document will also help nursing homes determine which staff should be tested during outbreak testing.

Changes to Nursing Home Testing Guidelines
In addition to item 3, above, CDC has updated recommendations for testing in nursing homes. These changes are outlined in this CDC guidance and CMS has issued updated memo QSO-20-38-NH-REVISED to adopt these changes. Routine screening testing of unvaccinated staff should now be conducted according to community transmission rate (determined by the COVID-19 Data Tracker). Read more about these changes and how to use the data tracker here. LeadingAge KS staff are in contact with State Officials about applicability in Kansas. Stay tuned.

$25.5 B in Phase 4 Provider Relief Announced Through HHS and HRSA
Here is an article with more information. Highlights:

1.  $25.5 B total will be distributed as part of Phase 4, which includes $8.5B for providers who serve rural patients and $17B for general distribution. This is about $7.5B less than expected.
2. Phase 4 funds can be applied for through a single application for both general and rural PRF dollars beginning 9/29/21.
3. Providers will receive a distribution that takes into account provider’s: 1) July 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021 losses and expenses related to COVID; 2) the size of their organization with smaller organizations receiving a distribution that covers a higher percentage of their losses and expenses; and 3) Medicaid and CHIP claims.  Rural distributions will be based off the amount and type of Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP services provided to rural patients.
4. Providers who don’t think they got the full Phase 3 payment they were owed can submit for reconsideration. HRSA has published the Phase 3 methodology, which was not previously available to providers.
5. Providers filing in the first reporting period can have up to a 60-day grace period beyond the September 30 deadline to submit their reports. During the grace period, funds will not be recouped nor will enforcement actions taken. The reporting portal will remain open until 11/30/21 to allow for this grace period.

LeadingAge will be attending a stakeholder call with HRSA on the announcement on Sept. 15. Please send your questions so far to Ruth Katz rkatz@leadingage.org or Nicole Fallon nfallon@leadingage.org so they can incorporate your questions into this meeting.   

LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS

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LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS

LeadingAge Letter to Congressional Committee Members Urging Inclusion of Nursing Home FMAP Increase in Bill
LeadingAge sent a letter to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today advocating that they include the nursing home FMAP increase provisions from the Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act of 2021 in their reconciliation mark up.  The language was not included in the bill released earlier by the Committee.

September 15th, 2:30 PM Central. LeadingAge Call Topic
Has your community noticed a change in resident attitudes toward and treatment of staff, as the pandemic wears on and with staffing shortages so common?  Strategies for creating and maintaining a culture of respect and caring between residents and staff, even in these tough times. If you haven’t registered for LeadingAge Update Calls, you can do so here.

New Insights and Tools From LeadingAge
LeadingAge staff experts are developing essential advocacy, guidance, and tools, and curating the most relevant resources for aging services providers, including: 

• Nursing Home Weekly Recap
• Life Plan Community Weekly Recap
• Home Health and Hospice Weekly Recap
• PACE Weekly Recap
• Senior Housing Weekly Recap
• Drive for 75: Week 27 Resources
• CDC Updates SARS-CoV-2 Infection Control Guidance for Healthcare Settings, Including Testing Protocols for Nursing Homes
• Long-Awaited Release of $25.5B in Remaining Provider Relief Funds Announced 

RESOURCES

CDC Studies Released Today – Waning Vaccine Effectiveness Against Hospitalization, Especially Among Elderly 

1. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. This study identified infections among 19% of the unvaccinated and 3% of the fully vaccinated.  However, vaccine efficacy was “significantly lower” for adults aged 75 and older.
2. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The study found that vaccines were 87% effective overall at preventing hospitalizations, but for adults over 65 they were only 80% effective, compared to 95% for those aged 18-64. 
3. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The study found that overall vaccine effectiveness remained high, but the vaccines’ ability to prevent any infection decreased from 91% to 78% after Delta showed up.  Before Delta’s rise, fully vaccinated people accounted for 8% of deaths; after Delta, that rose to 16%.
4. Sept. 20th Webinar on Long COVID.  Free webinar – “Long COVID: What is it and what are the Implications for Patients and Health Systems?,”on Monday, September 20th, 9 – 10:30 AM Central.  Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, Director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center, Veterans Administration, St. Louis Health Care System, will talk about clinical manifestations of long COVID and provide a perspective on what it means for patients, healthcare providers, and health systems. Sponsored by Project ECHO’s COVID 19 Global Conversations. More information and registration here.

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