Coming Soon: Long Sought COVID Guidance from CDC
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is working to release updated infection control guidance related to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Guidelines for return-to-work for healthcare personnel following COVID infection are expected in the coming days and are anticipated to align with the recommendations last approved by the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) November 2024 meeting, before its disbandment in early 2025. This includes allowing healthcare personnel to return to work sooner than the current guidelines, last updated in September 2022, that restrict healthcare personnel for at least seven days. CDC will be removing this outdated guidance imminently, along with two other outdated guidance documents related to mitigating staff shortages and infection control recommendations for the general public. Clinical recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination for the 2026/2027 respiratory illness season have not yet been released but are also anticipated soon and are likely to reflect the recommendations from the 2025/2026 season. CDC released flu vaccination recommendations for 2026/2027 on September 1 which reflect the 2025/2026 recommendations. LeadingAge is glad to see movement in this area after continuous advocacy on the issue, including countless conversations with agency staff and this letter to CDC in August 2025. We look forward to updated guidelines that more accurately reflect our current understanding and experiences with COVID-19.
New SNF Reports Now Available in LeadingAge Report Portal
New Five-Star Reports are now available for nursing home members in the LeadingAge Report Portal. These reports are based on the August 26 update to Nursing Home Care Compare. As this is only a monthly update, rather than a quarterly refresh, providers may see a change in their Health Inspection scores but Staffing and Quality Measures will not change. LeadingAge members can access their reports on the LeadingAge Report Portal. The next quarterly refresh of the Five Star Quality Rating System will occur on October 28.
DEA Final E-Prescribing Rule Goes to OMB, Expected Release Date of November 2026
Over the last three years, since the termination of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), providers have been anxiously awaiting the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) final decision on how e-prescribing controlled substances would work moving forward. That wait may soon be over. On August 25, DEA submitted a final rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations. OMB is the final stop before rules are published in the Federal Register and move towards implementation. Many will remember that the PHE providers were given waivers to an in-person requirement before prescribing. For many aging services providers, especially hospices, these flexibilities are invaluable. The Biden administration made multiple attempts to draft new regulations balancing the DEA’s role in prevention of drug diversion with patient access. In January 2025, this initial proposed rule, which is now final and awaiting OMB approval, was released which would require special registrations to be able to e-prescribe scheduled drugs. LeadingAge expressed grave concerns that the proposed rule would only further limit access to critical drugs for the vulnerable older adults. The rule’s expectations, we argue, were onerous and could prove impossible for hospices and other aging service providers to comply with due to the emergent nature of services and necessity of quickly prescribing schedule II drugs to control symptoms. If DEA moves forward with the proposed rule with no modifications, the impact on hospice agencies and other aging service providers who have prescribing authority could be immediate and devastating. These flexibilities allow providers to control pain and symptoms from serious illness quickly and effectively, but requiring in person visits, especially in rural areas, could delay patient relief by hours if not days.
CMS Releases Skilled Nursing Facility Consolidated Billing Quarterly Update
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the release of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Consolidated Billing October 2026 Quarterly Update in the most recent MLN Connects Newsletter. While the quarterly update made no substantive changes, it will be helpful for providers to review this list to find out which HCPCS codes are excluded from consolidated billing and how to handle vaccines like COVID, RSV, and flu. Check it out here. Recall that providers have the opportunity to request exclusions from consolidated billing each spring in the annual SNF Prospective Payment System (PPS) rule.
Weekly Recaps: September 9, 2026
