The AHCA/NCAL Driving for Quality Care RV tour comes to Kansas August 20, 2010.

KHCA member facility Sharon Lane Health Services in Shawnee, Kansas will host the AHCA/NCAL Driving for Qulaity Care RV tour on  the morning of August 20, 2010. Administrator Angela Moore is encouraging all KHCA/KCAL members to come to this event and show support for the Driving for Quality tour. The KHCA/KCAL office will be closed the morning of the event to that staff can participate as well. Come join the fun and show your support of this very important mission.

The RV message of Congressional passage of emergency Medicaid relief and support quality care for our nation’s seniors is generating media coverage as it criss-crosses the country bringing our petition to communities from DC to California! These Medicaid funds, known as FMAP, are a critical safety net for protecting seniors and the jobs of the front line caregivers. Stay connected with the people on the road through our interactive website, http://www.drivingforqualitycare.com/ where you can read blog posts about every event, and watch RV TV – our exclusive video and interviews. The website also allows you to advocate for long term care by signing the petition online, writing your legislators, and sharing your personal stories. You can even follow the RV’s route via our online map or find an event occurring near you.

We hope you will join us in this important effort as they drive across the country raising awareness and building support to make adequate funding of Medicaid a top health care policy priority.If you have not already, please sign the Driving for Quality Care petition!

Sharon Lane is located at 10315 Johnson Drive in Shawnee, KS. Learn more about Sharon Lane Health Serivces at http://www.sharonlane.com. 

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  KHCA/KCAL Award Nominations Deadline Extended

The deadline for submitting nominations for the KHCA/KCAL 60th Annual Convention Award Program has been extended to August 16, 2010. Please return your nomination form and supporting documentation by this date.

At the heart of the KHCA/KCAL Annual Convention is always our recognition of staff, volunteers and elders who have done so much to enrich the lives of others. Join Wendy Read and the Public Relations Committee for the event that leaves no one in the room unmoved. Click here for your nomination forms for the Marty Hegarty Distinguished Citizen program (residents of both SNF and AL). Click here for Assisted Living, Res Care and Home Plus staff nomination forms. Click here for the Nursing Home staff nomination forms.  In order to participate, facilities must be in good membership standing with the association and plan to participate in the 60th Annual Convention and Tradeshow. Winners will be announced by September 30, 2010.

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  AHCA to Collect 2009 Staffing Data

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is conducting the second nationwide nursing facility survey, which will collect 2009 staffing data that will be used to estimate the retention and turnover rates of nursing facility employees. Please take the time to complete and return the survey to AHCA by August 31, 2010.

The goal of this survey is to provide statistics on retention and turnover for advocacy purposes. If the response rate for each state is sufficient, AHCA will be able to generate these statistics on a state level basis. Please note that individual results will not be disclosed to any party.

Nursing facilities can participate in AHCA’s Nursing Facility Staffing Survey (2009) in one of two ways:

Individual facilities may click here to open the survey then complete and mail the survey to AHCA 2009 Nursing Facility Vacancy Survey, American Health Care Association, 1201 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005, or fax completed surveys to 202-842-3860.

Multi-facility organizations may download the survey (MS Excel format, 180 KB) from http://www.ahcancal.org/research_data/staffing/Pages/default.aspx , then complete and email the survey to AHCA at research@ahca.org. 
Below are a few tips for easily completing the survey.

§  In Column A, the data for the total number of current employees as of December 31, 2009 can be obtained from the payroll report that includes the date of December 31, 2009.

§  In Column B, the number of employees who had worked in the facility for 1 year or longer can be obtained from the final payroll report for 2009. This payroll report may include the date of hire. If the individual was employed in the last payroll report for 2009 (or on December 31, 2009) and had a hire date on or before January 1, 2009, then he/she would be included in the number provided in Column B.

§  In Column C, the total number of employees (whether full-time or part-time) during Calendar Year 2009 can be obtained from the W-2 information for 2009.

Any questions regarding this survey may be emailed to research@ahca.org, or you may call Bill Hartung at (202) 898-2841 or Jeffrey Liu at (202) 898-2818.

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  New survey bill introduced in House

In the hours before the House of Representatives left for August recess, Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI), introduced the Enhancing Quality through Survey System Improvements Act of 2010 (HR 6074). The legislation would modernize the decades-old survey system by utilizing data most of which is already collected by CMS. The measure would also allow for surveyors to spend more time in facilities that need more attention. AHCA is pleased to endorse the Stupak legislation and work with him to ensure its passage.
 
Click here for a copy of the bill.

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  Register today for the AHCA/NCAL 61st Annual Convention & Expo

Connect with your colleagues for four days of dynamic speakers, information–packed education sessions, interactive exhibits, valuable networking opportunities, and much more at the 2010 AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo. Take advantage of these cost saving tips as you prepare for the trip:

Make sure you register by October 1, 2010 to receive the full meeting discount.

Stay in the AHCA/NCAL hotel room block, reserved for attendees at discounted rates. The deadline to make your hotel reservation is September 10, 2010.

Enjoy free lunch in our Expo Hall on Monday and Tuesday.

Savor great food and beverages at these networking events: Welcome Reception, Not for Profit Reception, Hospitality Hops, and the Quality Awards Recipients Reception.

Use Prime Time/Go Airport Shuttle for discounted transportation to and from nearby airports: Long Beach Airport (LGB), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and John Wayne Airport (SNA- Santa Ana, CA).

Visit http://www.ahcancal.org/events/ahca_convention/Pages/default.aspx  for up to date convention details.
 

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  Loss of QM/QI Reports Prompts Change in SOM

On Friday July 30, CMS posted a Survey & Certification Memorandum (S&C) describing temporary changes to Tasks 1 – 5C in the State Operations Manual.  The changes relate to the loss of Quality Measure/Quality Indicator reports as of October 1, due to the implementation of MDS 3.0.  Included in the S&C are training materials for use by CMS Regional Offices and State Survey Agencies when they train surveyors on these changes.

Click here for a copy of the CMS notice.

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  Proposed Rules Could Reduce CMP

As reported in McKnight's long term care news, a newly proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would, in some cases, reduce civil monetary penalties (CMP) issued against nursing homes by as much as 50%.

To qualify for the reduced CMP under the rule, a nursing home would have to report a deficiency before it is discovered by either CMS or a state agency, and correct the deficiency within 10 days. The penalty reduction would not apply in cases of immediate jeopardy, or in cases that are part of a recurring pattern of harm, according to the proposal. The new rule also would establish an escrow account where the CMP would be held during any appeals process. In the event of a successful appeal, CMS would return the money with interest.

Currently, CMPs range from $50 to $10,000 per day of noncompliance, according to background information in the proposed rule. The rule was created in accordance with section 6111 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. CMS is asking for feedback on the rule, which was published Monday in the Federal Register. Comments are due by August 11.
Click here for a look at the CMP proposed changes. Contact KHCA for a draft comment form in a "word" document. 

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  SNF, IRF & home health market basket updates from CMS

On Friday, July 16, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued several notices, including its FY 2011 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) Notice. The notice provides for a Medicare Part A market basket update of 1.7 percent - an increase of approximately $542 million for FY 2011. During a late afternoon call, CMS officials briefed AHCA regarding a new “hybrid” RUG-III PPS for FY 2011, as well as plans to make interim payments under the RUG-IV PPS beginning with service dates of October 1, 2010, until the new HR-III PPS is ready.

CMS also provided updates for home health and IRFs. Medicare payments to home health agencies (HHAs) for calendar year (CY) 2011 will decrease by 4.75 percent, which is approximately $900 million less than the payments HHAs now receive. The agency noted that factors contributing to the overall decrease include changes in case-mix and patient health status; market basket and wage-index updates; and specific provisions in the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA). CMS' IRF PPS notice provides increased Medicare payments to IRFs of $135 million for FY 2011, which reflects both a full market basket update of $140 million and the 0.25 percent ($5 million) reduction called for in the PPACA.

For details regarding the SNF PPS notice, please review the following PDF (87 KB) SNF PPS Notice Overview
 
http://www.cms.gov/InpatientRehabFacPPS/

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  Online Registration Opens August 13 for the September 15 Meeting on ACA Requirements for ICD-10 Crosswalk Revisions

Mark your calendars for Friday, August 13, when online registration opens for the September 15-16 ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance (C&M) Committee meeting.  The C&M meeting is a public forum for the presentation of proposed modifications to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth-Revision, Clinical Modification. 

Section 10109(c) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act of 2010 (ACA) requires that the C&M Committee convene a meeting before January 1, 2011, to receive stakeholder input regarding the crosswalk between the Ninth and Tenth Revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 and ICD-10, respectively), posted to the CMS website at http://www.cms.gov/ICD10  for the purpose of making appropriate revisions to said crosswalk.  Section 10109(c) further requires that any revised crosswalk be treated as a code set for which a standard has been adopted by the Secretary, and that revisions to this crosswalk be posted to the CMS website. 

The C&M Committee will use the first half of the first day of the September C&M Committee meeting, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 15, 2010, to fulfill the above-referenced ACA requirements for this meeting to be held prior to January 1, 2011, and receive public input regarding the above-referenced crosswalk revisions. Interested parties and other stakeholders should be prepared to submit their written comments and other relevant documentation at the meeting, or no later than November 12, 2010.

Registration is not required for those dialing in to the meeting by phone. 

For the complete Federal Register notice, please go to http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-16610.pdf .  For additional information, go to http://www.cms.gov/ICD10 and click on the ICD-9 Coordination & Maintenance Committee link page on the left.

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