NCAL Future Leader

Judy Bagby has been chosen by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) as a future leader in long term care. Judy participated in AHCA/NCAL’s “Future Leaders of Long Term Care in America” symposium on July 22 – 24, 2008, in Washington, DC. The symposium kicks off a year-long program that offers training and guidance for long term care professionals, who have demonstrated leadership potential and an interest in representing the interests of long term care providers at the state and national levels. The program covers the latest theories in quality management, customer satisfaction, and leadership.

“By participating in this program, Judy and the other members of our 2008 – 2009 Future Leaders class will be better prepared to serve in vital roles within the association and on behalf of the entire profession,” commented AHCA/NCAL President & CEO Bruce Yarwood.“ By honing their knowledge and leadership skills,” continued Yarwood, “these future leaders will surely help to advance quality and promote the profession’s mission of providing the highest quality, resident-centered care for frail, elderly, and disabled Americans.”

This is the fourth year in a row a Future Leader has been selected from Kansas.

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  MEDICARE INCREASES NURSING HOME PAYMENT RATES

MEDICARE INCREASES NURSING HOME PAYMENT RATES
RECALIBRATION OF RUGS TO BE STUDIED FURTHER

Medicare payment rates to nursing homes will increase by $780 million next year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today.

The boost in payments is the result of a 3.4 percent increase in the annual market basket calculation of the cost of goods and services included in a skilled nursing facility stay. The price of the items in the basket is measured every year and Medicare payments are adjusted accordingly. 

A recalibration of the payment categories, intended to correct a previous error that had been proposed for Fiscal Year 2009 has been delayed while CMS continues to evaluate the data.  The proposed rule announcing the planned recalibration was published in the Federal Register on May 4, 2008.

CMS Skilled Nursing Facility webpage: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SNFPPS/.  
The copy of the final regulation is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SNFPPS/LSNFF/list.asp#TopOfPage
The press release is available at: www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp

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  Medicaid Nursing Home Providers New Plastic Medical Cards

Kansas Medicaid Cards

Beginning on September 1, 2008, the Kansas Medical Assistance Program
(KMAP) will no longer issue monthly paper cards but instead will issue permanent plastic medical identification (ID) cards. Each KMAP beneficiary who currently receives a monthly paper card will receive a permanent plastic medical card. Please visit the links below for more information:

http://www.khpa.ks.gov/medicalcard/provider.html

http://www.khpa.ks.gov/medicalcard/beneficary.html

Nursing facilities should receive all plastic medical cards by August 29th.  If any cards have not been received, please call 1-800-766-9012.

Please note:  All cards will be mailed in a PLAIN WHITE ENVELOPE, do not discard this envelope as there will only be one card issued.

AVRS and Web Portal

The Kansas Medical Assistance Program has offered workshops with information about the new Automated Voice Response System(AVRS) and Web Portal, which are helpful tools for the new plastic medical cards.  This information can be accessed through this web link under Materials:

https://www.kmap-state-ks.us/Public/Provider.asp

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  AHCA/NCAL 59th Annual Convention & Expo

Experience the 2008 AHCA/NCAL 59th Annual Convention & Expo

The AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo is the national professional resource for long term care practitioners. Take this opportunity to learn about the profession's best practices.  Register Today to Save $100
Registration Fees Increase After September 24, 2008

Add NCAL Day to Your Schedule of Events at the AHCA/NCAL 59th Annual Convention & Expo

If dedicated, assisted living-specific education is what you are looking for, NCAL Day is a "must attend" event. Taking place on Sunday, October 5th, the opening day of the convention, this coveted program will focus on leadership development in assisted living, with emphasis on staff recruitment, retention, orientation, and professional development. Doug Lipp, former head of training at Disney Studio's Walt Disney University will be the NCAL Day keynote speaker. 

Registering for NCAL Day is easy. Just add NCAL Day as an option when registering for the AHCA/NCAL 59th Annual Convention & Expo.  

 NCAL Day, in addition to Full Meeting Registration  $175
 NCAL Day Only (Members)    $395
 NCAL Day Only (Non-Members)     $545
 Top Gun (NCAL Members Only)    $250

Although priced separately from NCAL Day, the "Top Gun" program is an NCAL Day featured educational track. Limited to 50 participants, "Top Gun" is a four-hour, interactive, peer-to-peer session that leads teams of three people each through the different phases of turning a poor performing assisted living community. Teams compete against each other, with the winning team members being recognized as "Top Gun" awardees during the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention. Chris Mason, of Vigilan Software, will be the facilitator of the "Top Gun" track.

Learn from the best in the business, earn CEUs, and network with your peers from across the country. Register today.  To register for the AHCA/NCAL 59th Annual Convention & Expo, visit www.ahcaconvention.org.

There's Something for Everyone in the Expo Hall

The AHCA/NCAL Expo Hall offers more experts under one roof! With over 350 exhibiting companies, it is the largest expo designed specifically for long term care professionals.  This is your chance to speak one-on-one with suppliers and hear their specific recommendations for your facility.  You can also relax and have fun. Visit the expo hall each day for your chance to win great prizes:

* Take part in the "Best Booth Contest", and enter to win prizes.
* Enjoy complimentary lunch with your peers.
* Meet the musical greats at the Legends of Opryland.
 
Order Your Convention CD's Now and Save!

AHCA/NCAL will continue to offer you the opportunity to save $130 by pre-ordering seminar recordings and speaker presentations for this year's event. Order before October 5, 2008 and get access to all of the conference education sessions in a complete CD-ROM set for only $149.

The convention and expo features loads of great seminars, but you may find that your schedule won't allow for you to attend them all. Purchasing a convention CD-ROM can ensure that you catch all of the sessions you planned for. Don't wait. Your early bird order of $149 will save you $130 from the on-site price of $299. Place your order at www.conferencerecordings.com.

To register for the AHCA/NCAL 59th Annual Convention & Expo and NCAL Day, visit www.ahcaconvention.org.
 
We're Going Green

In an effort to be more environmentally responsible, AHCA/NCAL will not be providing handouts  in each session room.  If you require handouts as part of your convention experience, you will be able to print handouts from our attendee website prior to leaving for Nashville.  Instructions on printing handouts will be available to every registered attendee prior to convention via this electronic newsletter.

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  Health Deficiencies in Kansas and Where We Rank Nationally

Click on the following links to access the top ten health deficiencies cited in the nation as of June 2008 and the top ten health deficiencies cited in Kansas as of June 2008. 

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  Ethical Decision Making: Doing It Right

Sponsored by
Kansas Area Agencies on Aging Association

Presentation Goals

To develop a foundation of knowledge regarding ethical principles and professional standards and their application in delivering services.  Special attention will be paid to the critical nature of customer service and cultural competence being integrated with ethical principles in the comprehensive delivery services.

Presenters will be:

Ron Denney, MA, LMLP, Executive Director at Four County Mental Health Center.
Courtney Boettcher, LSCSW, Associate Director of Field Practicum at Wichita State University
Presenter determined by location

Locations and dates:

Aug. 13: Dodge City, 1:00pm—4:00pm Dodge City Public Library, 1001 N. 2nd Avenue

Sept. 10:  Topeka, 9:00am—12:00pm, Pozez Education Center (Gault Auditorium), 8th and Horne

Sept. 12:  Pittsburg, 9:00am—12:00pm, Memorial Auditorium, 503 N. Pine

Sept. 24:  Hays, 1:00pm—4:00pm, Kansas Highway Patrol Office, 1821 Frontier Road

Oct. 2:  Wichita, 9:00am - 12:00pm, American Red Cross, 1900 E. Douglas
  
 
***** REGISTRATION INFORMATION ATTACHED *****

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  UPCOMING PROGRAM EVIDENCE-BASED FALL PREVENTION

EVIDENCE-BASED FALL PREVENTION
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
12:30-5:30 p.m. CDT

Almost one-third of older adults experience a fall every year and one-third of those will fall again within three months. The total direct cost for falls among older adults in 2000 was about $19 billion, and is expected to reach $43.8 billion by 2020 with acceleration of the age wave. Fall-related costs are not only related to the direct cost of trauma care, but also to the costs of custodial care, as fall-prone individuals require increasing levels of ADL assistance. Fall prevention is always the best intervention in providing care for a population increasingly prone to falls with advancing age. This program will introduce participants to evidence-based practice for the prevention of falls and post-fall evaluation and care.
 
Offered in the following locations:
* University of Kansas Medical Center, Landon Center on Aging, 3599 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS
ITV Sites:
* Windsor Place, 2921 W 1st St., Coffeyville, KS
* KU Area Health Education Center – Southwest, 1501 Fulton Terr., Ste. 1, Garden City, KS
* KU Area Health Education Center – Northwest, Hadley Center, 205 E 7th St., Ste. 130, Hays, KS
* The Groves, 1415 W. White Oak, Independence, MO
* The Smith Center at Brandon Woods, 4730 Brandon Woods Terr., Lawrence, KS
* Ottawa County Health Center, 215 E 8th St., Minneapolis, KS (Note: The ITV room at this site is not handicap accessible)
* KU Area Health Education Center – East, Shirk Hall, 1501 S Joplin, Pittsburg, KS
* Satanta District Hospital, 401 Cheyenne, Satanta, KS
* Additional sites may be added at the request of host facilities.

Faculty:
Deborah Cooke, PT, PhD
Balance and Neurological Rehabilitation, LLC

Nandini Deshpande, PT, PhD
University of Kansas Medical Center

Dory Sabata, OTD, OTR/L, SCEM
University of Kansas Medical Center

Sharee A. Wiggins, NP, MS(N), ARNP, BC (GNP), BC (ANP)
University of Kansas Medical Center

CE Contact Hours: 5

Registration fee: $45
Central Plains Geriatric Education Center
University of Kansas Medical Center

Mail
MS 1005
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Kansas City, KS 66160

Fax
(913) 588-3179
Phone
(913) 588-1464
Email
gec@kumc.edu

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  Long-term Care Insurance Market Update

If you wanted to know what Congress is working on, you could read the Congressional Record. For similar insight into the world of entertainment, you might read Variety magazine; for sports, it's Sports Illustrated. Where would you go to find out exactly what's happening in the long-term care insurance industry? That answer is easy for long-term care insurance agents. We read the annual "Survey of Individual Long-term Care Insurance," published each summer in Broker World magazine.

Some of the highlights from the survey, along with my commentary, are shown below. All survey data is from 2007, the most recent year available. Also, please note that the survey is for individual policies only. Some policies, usually sold through workplaces, are group policies.

National Average annual premium: $2,132. The national annual premium for new individual policies has been in the neighborhood of $2,000 for several years. Keep in mind that premium is a function of many things, including policy design, geographic location, issue age, and sometimes, health. Also, Kansas and the Midwest have lower costs than the East or West Coast. The average annual cost of care in Kansas is $51,000 while in Connecticut the annual average is $110,000 per year! So, if a person purchases a policy that provides a much lower benefit amount (or much higher) than the national average, or the applicant is much younger or older than average, or they have health issues, as they say in the weight-loss commercials: results may vary!
The insurance companies which are selling the most individual long-term care insurance, according to new annualized premium in 2007: Genworth $171 million John Hancock $145 million MetLife $63 million Bankers Life & Casualty $36 million New York Life $26 million The next five carriers are: Allianz, Prudential, MassMutual, Mutual of Omaha/United of Omaha, State Farm, MedAmerica.

Approximately 45 insurance companies sell long-term care insurance. Although the industry has gone through a consolidation in recent years, that appears to have ended, since no insurer announced they will leave the market in 2007.

The average age of a new insured: 58.1 years This age has held steady, at 58 years, for three years. In 2004 the average age was 61.3 years. Before that, the ages were older still. Long-term care insurance has become a policy that many people are purchasing in anticipation of retirement to protect their nest egg. That said, 45 percent of applicants are age 60 or older. Most purchasers are between ages 55 and 69, though insurance companies will issue policies to applicants up to age 79, and some will issue policies on age 80+ applicants.
In summary, the long-term care insurance market is stable, represented by some of the biggest players in financial services. The national average premium of about $2,100/year, less in Kansas and the Midwwest, makes this policy, while not affordable by all, affordable for many. Consumers are increasingly seeing this coverage as an important component of their retirement plans, to purchase in anticipation of retirement, or shortly thereafter.

LT Care Solutions
David Landwehr CLTC
President
email: dlandwehr@ltcaresolutions.com
phone: 316-945-2011

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  Resident Satisfaction Committee Links

Advancing Excellence is a new coalition based, two-year campaign that launched in September 2006. The campaign is reinvigorating efforts to improve the quality of care and quality of life for those living or recuperating in America's nursing homes.
http://www.nhqualitycampaign.org/.

My InnerView’s  Quality ProfileTM tool assists leaders in monitoring pressure ulcers and physical restraints within their nursing homes as well as sets organizational targets for clinical quality improvement. Our Satisfaction Surveys allow facilities to measure resident, family and staff satisfaction.
http://www.myinnerview.com/

Kansas Culture Change Coalition is a group that provides support to long-term care organizations striving to develop systems that value the dignity of each individual who lives and works within their setting.  It is an organization of diverse interest groups that combine their talents to effect change that is hard to do as individuals.  The Kansas Culture Change Coalition maintains the vision of the Pioneer Network that supports a culture of aging that is life affirming, satisfying, humane, and meaningful.  Culture Change can transform a "facility" into a "home, a "patient/resident" into a "person", and a "schedule" into a "choice".
http://www.kansasculturechangecoalition.org/.

KFMC’s work with KS nursing homes assists nursing home staff with improving care processes on the clinical quality measures. Nursing homes who have committed to working with KFMC over the past five years have made significant progress in reducing quality measure rates.
http://www.kfmc.org/.

QIS Updates- click on tab 9 to access the Critical Element Pathways at
http://www.aging.state.ks.us/Manuals/QIS/TabIndex.html.  Click here for the Resident Interview and Resident Observation forms. http://www.aging.state.ks.us/Manuals/QIS/Tab05/CMS-20050_Resident_Interview_and_Observation.pdf. 

Click here for Provider Manual Updates from the KMAP website

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