VACCINATION NEWS
Information Obtained From Various Calls with Pharmacy Partnership Program Vaccinators, CVS and Walgreens
Certain information pertains to only CVS, Walgreens, or both as indicated in parenthesis after each item:
- There is a copy of the consent form online, but the physical forms will be sent to the facility. (both CVS and Walgreens)
- CVS requires their consent form to be completed to administer a vaccine. Verbal consent can be used, but it must be documented on the supplied consent form
- Walgreens stated that verbal consent must be documented, but that the consent form was not required as the form of documentation
- Pharmacy Partners are asking for photocopies of insurance cards, front and back. Numbers are not sufficient; a photocopy of the card must be included. (CVS requires this, Walgreens indicated this is also their preferred option, but they are willing to work with facilities)
- Independent Living on the site of a CCRC/LPC: residents are excluded, but staff that are shared between settings are included and this is up to the facility on what staff can participate in the program. (both CVS and Walgreens) SIDE NOTE: LeadingAge Kansas is advocating with the state of Kansas to include independent living as a priority 1 in their plan. No resolution, yet
- CVS will bring enough vaccine for the amount of consent forms that have been completed
- Walgreens stated they will bring the amount of vaccine indicated to them and not necessarily based on the numbers of completed consent forms they have received. Walgreens also stated they will attempt to bring a “safety stock” to the facilities in the event there are additional individuals that need to be vaccinated
- The Pharmacy Partner will need the help of facility staff to monitor for allergic reactions following injections. The pharmacy partners will not be bringing sufficient staff to monitor multiple residents in multiple rooms. (both CVS and Walgreens)
- Facilities will need to report adverse reactions to the vaccine, after the partners leave, into VAERS. (both CVS and Walgreens. Walgreens stated that facilities could report reactions to their Walgreens reps and Walgreens would report the information into VAERS)
Walgreens Webinar Tuesday, December 29th at 2:30 PM Central
Join LeadingAge and experts from Walgreens as they discuss the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program for COVID-19 Vaccinations. Walgreens officials will provide an overview of their distribution program and clinics for those providers who are paired with them and will answer questions from LeadingAge members. They will also provide resources for providers to help providers plan for the distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine. Register for this webinar here.
Wednesday’s Online Coronavirus Policy Update
Dr. Ali H. Mokdad from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington—one of the trusted sources for COVID-19 data—will be LeadingAge national’s guest on the December 23rd policy update at 2:30 PM Central. They will also share the latest from the Hill and on COVID vaccines. If you haven’t yet, register here.
Register for KDHE Webinar Monday January 4, 2021 at 9:30 AM
The agency will provide this webinar to adult care home (NF, AL, RHC, HP), CCRC/LPC and PACE providers to cover elements of vaccine distribution in Kansas and to answer provider questions. Register here. Please send your questions in advance to rachel@leadingagekansas.org
Who is Next in Line for the Vaccine?
On December 20, 2020 the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended prioritizing people over 75 and essential frontline workers in phase 1b. For phase 1c they recommended prioritizing people between 65-74, people between 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions, and essential workers not yet vaccinated. This is guidance only as the final decisions rest with the states. Read more in this article.
CDC Long-Term Care Facility COVID-19 Vaccination Toolkit
CDC is working to release a LTC-specific COVID-19 vaccine toolkit. They have pledged to release pieces of the toolkit as they are ready, rather than waiting for the entire toolkit to be complete. The first piece of the toolkit has arrived in the form of FAQs. You can access these FAQs here.
CVS Info
CVS partners should check out this website https://www.omnicare.com/covid-19-vaccine-resource if you have not already done so. This contains webinar slides and a link to watch the webinar that the CVS partner facilities were invited to participate in. Look at the FAQ page and consent process link. You can also find example email communications and a clinic guide to assist in preparations for the clinics.
Walgreen’s Info
Their Long term care rollout information and webinar for their assigned LTC partners is here.
COVID Vaccine Education & Photo Request
As the vaccine starts arriving at member organizations, we have an important opportunity to help tell the story of the COVID vaccine in aging services. Opening our doors to this experience allows us to share our stories of hope and resilience—the positive narratives that we know we need to elevate whenever possible. Pictures and videos of staff and older adults getting vaccinated show directly that aging services providers are getting the job done around vaccination, while also modeling needed behavior. Please share pictures and videos of vaccination? Materials can be emailed, along with a written permission for use in LeadingAge communications, to communications@leadingage.org. Thank you!
STATE NEWS
Testing Must Continue Until…
Initial conversation with KDADS reveals that all adult care homes (nursing homes and all other state-licensed only adult care homes) are required to continue to follow staff testing protocol based on county positivity rate after vaccinations are given and until Governor Kelly rescinds her recent Executive Order 20-69. Nursing facilities specifically will be required to continue the current testing protocol until CMS changes the requirement regardless of what happens with the Governor’s executive order.
FEDERAL NEWS
Highlights of the Relief Bill/Appropriations
Congress released the 6,000 page text of The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Omnibus and Coronavirus Relief Bill). It will directly or indirectly affect just about every part of the aging services continuum. We’ve pulled together a quick analysis of key provisions that matter to LeadingAge members; once posted on the LeadingAge website, you will find it here. Some highlights below, by no means a complete accounting. Additional articles on individual elements coming over the next few days.
- Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. Expanded to include 501c6 nonprofits. 501 c3 organizations can also get a first or second PPP loan. For those seeking a second draw loan, you must demonstrate a reduction in gross receipts of 25% from 2019 to 2020. Loans this round are generally 2.5x monthly payroll up to $2M. ( Here is a good resource on what’s different with PPP this time.)
- Vaccines, Testing, and CARES Act Extension. $8.75B is allocated to CDC for vaccine distribution and administration. $4.5B is for states, local, territorial, and tribal public health departments and $300M is for a targeted effort to distribute and administer vaccines in high risk and underserved populations. It allows states an additional year to spend their CARES funds, until December 31, 2021.
- Provider Relief Fund. Includes a small amount of additional PRF funding plus some key policy changes to the program. It would appropriate an additional $3B to PRF and allow certain providers to calculate their lost revenues using a budgeted to actual revenue comparison instead of the actual year-over-year comparison currently required by HHS. It also allows parent organizations to reallocate all PRF among its subsidiaries and directs HHS to use 85% of new and remaining PRF dollars to cover providers reported financial losses and changes in operating expenses through first quarter of 2021.
- Extension of temporary paid sick leave and family leave (FFCRA). The FFCRA established a temporary paid sick leave and paid family leave program that was set to expire on December 31, 2020. Alongside these programs, FFCRA established refundable payroll tax credits for paid sick and family leave. These tax credits are extended through the end of March 2021. Clarification being sought on whether the paid leave program is also extended for three months. Stay tuned.
- Medicare payments changes and health extenders. The sequester moratorium is extended for three months and in recognition of the hardship of COVID, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will see a one time, one year 3.75% payment bump. Several extenders for key expiring Medicare and Medicaid provisions.
- Hospice Survey Reforms. Hospice survey frequency will remain at 3 years. This and other provisions, many requested by LeadingAge, are detailed in this article.
- Child Care Stabilization Grants. $10B for a new HHS grants program for child care providers. Will assist families of essential workers and other workers determined to be essential during the response to COVID-19 by public officials.
- FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Additional $250M to the FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program authorized under the CARES Act.
- Nutrition Services Under OAA. Extends waivers providing flexibility in Older Americans Act nutrition services. The Administration for Community Living was allocated $952M for senior nutrition programs, an increase of $15M above the 2020 enacted level.
- H2-B Immigration Extensions. Provides discretion to the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, to increase the number of H-2B temporary visas that may be issued in fiscal year 2021.
- Eviction moratorium, rental assistance, tax credit program. The bill extends the CDC eviction moratorium for nonpayment of rent until January 31, 2021, provides $25B in rental assistance to meet rent arrear and future needs and gets payments to renters and owners, and stabilized the 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which was weakened by the economic downturn, by creating a 4% minimum credit floor.
- Final FY21 HUD Funding. $52M for new Section 202 housing, $30M for new, grant-funded Service Coordinators, and funding to meet the renewal needs of all HUD-assisted rental assistance contracts. The FY21 HUD bill, summarized here, also includes $5M for intergenerational housing, as well as a $14M, two-year extension of HUD’s IWISH demonstration program.
- Carbon Monoxide Alarms in HUD and USDA Housing. The Coronabus (coronavirus + omnibus), as some on the Hill are calling it, includes H.R. 1690, which requires most all HUD- and USDA-assisted housing units to have carbon monoxide alarms in them; the bill also authorize $101.4M a year to pay for the requirement.
Provider Relief Fund Update
HHS updated the FAQs over the weekend indicating it will issue 1099s on 1/31/2021, for all providers who have received and retained a “total net payment” form the Provider Relief Fund. These will be mailed to providers unless they have an account with UnitedHealth Group and opted to only receive electronic copies of documents and notices. We do not know at this time if any detail will be provided along with this delineating the type of funds received (e.g., General Distribution Phase 1, 2, 3 vs Targeted Distributions such as Nursing Home Infection Control Incentives).
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
Members in the Media
Nate Glendening from Phillips County Retirement Center, Kris Erickson from Bethany Village, Karen Harriman from PMMA and Debra Zehr were quoted in this recent Topeka Capitol Journal article about vaccination plans.
Next Weekly Webinar Will Be On January 8, 2021
Due to Christmas and New Years Day, we will not be having our normal weekly webinars for a few weeks. Join us in 2021 as we get back into the swing of things with new speakers and information.
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 Our COVID-19 Resources Developed for LeadingAge Kansas Members
- Pre/During/Post Outbreak Checklist
- Emergency Staffing Checklist
- Pulmonary Assessment Skills for Nurses (video and competency checklist)
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.
LEADINGAGE NEWS
Tools and Info
LeadingAge staff experts are developing essential advocacy, guidance and tools, and curating the most relevant resources for aging services providers on COVID-19 and beyond, including:
Funding-related:
- Overview of Omnibus and Coronavirus Relief Bill’s Workforce, Telehealth and Senior Nutrition Provisions
- Overview of Omnibus and Coronavirus Relief Bill’s Workforce, Telehealth and Senior Nutrition Provisions
- Overview of Year-end Congressional Package
- Congress Adds to Provider Relief and Clarifies Lost Revenues
- Hospice Changes in Year End Package
- House, Senate Agree to Final FY21 HUD Funding
- Carbon Monoxide Alarms in HUD and USDA Housing
Vaccination-related:
- Who is Next in Line for Vaccines? – ACIP December 20 Recommendations
- FAQs and Resources on COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccinations (updated)
- Vaccination Toolkit (updated)
- LeadingAge Vaccine Resources Page (updated)
- An Hour with CVS/Omnicare – LeadingAge Update on LTCF Pharmacy Partnership Program
- LeadingAge Interview with Dr. Martha Dawson, President of the National Black Nurses Association
Other:
- States Implement COVID-19 Short-Term Critical Staff Redeployment Programs
- View the Latest Info, News, and Tools from LeadingAge
- CDC Information on new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus. General information that can be used for addressing staff or resident questions can be found here.
