Last Friday, March 4, 2011 Dave Halftery KDOA, provided information via a webinar outlining the updated cash flow process for the quality care assessment fund aka provider tax. For those who missed the live presentation, handout materials can be found on our website home page or by clicking here. Questions? Call 785-267-6003.

 Life Care Center of Seneca, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility, was recently named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Nursing Homes. “The staff of Life Care Center of Seneca works hard to exceed the standards and regulations of the state and federal government,” said Travis Hecht, executive director of the facility. “It is an honor to be entrusted with the care of our residents, and we do our utmost to make this a great place for them to live, rehabilitate and often return home.”

Winning facilities were chosen for their ratings through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – each one is listed as a five-star facility. CMS calculates the ratings based on results of health inspections, staffing and quality measures.

 Life Care Center of Seneca was one of 27 Life Care Centers of America facilities included on the Best Nursing Home list this year.

Located at 512 Community Drive, Life Care Center of Seneca is one of six skilled nursing and rehab facilities in Kansas managed or operated by Life Care Centers of America.

Founded in 1976, Life Care is a nationwide health care company. With headquarters in Cleveland, Tenn., Life Care operates or manages more than 220 nursing, post-acute and Alzheimer’s centers in 28 states.

KHCA proudly introduce “Medicare University,” a Three Day Intensive Seminar designed to meet the needs of clinicians and anyone involved in billing who finds themselves mired in confusing, complex and ever-changing regulations and requirements. “Medicare University” is designed to give professionals the information, tools and confidence they need to successfully implement and manage a Medicare SNF PPS program in their organizations, while growing market share.

MEDICARE UNIVERSITY

March 22-24, 2011
Ramada Convention Center
Downtown Topeka

Judy Wilhide - Master Trainer

The 3-day “Medicare University” Program is designed to guide the interdisciplinary team through the Medicare maze, empowering them to return home with critical information and skills to ensure quality outcomes, regulatory compliance, profitability and a competitive edge. Each module generally consists of: regulatory requirements and source documents, instructor commentary, forms, tools, case studies, question and answer sessions, further resources, and best practice tips for optimizing reimbursement and compliance.

Click HERE to download the brochure and registration form

Click HERE to register online

Remember: KHCA/kcal Members must log in to be billed.

All sessions will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Ramada Inn on the Main level. A block of rooms has been secured for Medicare University participants. The special rate of $85 has been arranged. Mention KHCA when booking your room at 785-234-5400. This rate includes a hot breakfast.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed a proclamation declaring the week of March 7th – March 11th as Severe Weather Awareness Week. During Severe Weather Awareness Week, the Governor is encouraging Kansans to learn about potential weather related safety hazards and to prepare for severe weather.

“Kansans are no strangers to the destructive power of severe weather. However, with the proper education and preparation for the storms that will inevitably come through Kansas this spring, Kansans can mitigate the dangers to themselves and their families,” Governor Brownback said.

As a part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, a statewide tornado drill will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 8.

On March 12, the Crisis City and Disaster Preparedness Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p. m. in Salina and is open to the public. The event is free and hosted by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. Crisis City, located 8 miles southwest of Salina, is a state of the art complex designed to host training for first responders, emergency management professionals, military units and organizations, and public and private industry safety, response, and security organizations.

For more information about the Kansas Division of Emergency Management or Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week, visit http://www.facebook.com/Kansas-Division-of-Emergency-Management or http://www.twitter.com/KansasEmergency

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) today filed an amicus curiae brief in a case before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that has serious implications for the long term and post-acute care profession.

“The determination of collective bargaining units in long term and post-acute care facilities should be made on a facility-by-facility basis,” stated Governor Mark Parkinson, President & CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “We must speak for our members and remind the NLRB that over 75 years of precedent is a strong indicator that the current process is working. To ignore that fact could drastically affect not only our profession, but many other professions as well.”

Co-signed by a large number of other long term and post-acute care organizations, AHCA/NCAL’s amicus brief highlights the fact that the NLRB is contemplating a fundamental change in the manner in which it determines the composition of bargaining units in healthcare facilities. Click here for the full brief.

In response to solicitation by the NLRB, the brief points out that the traditional board methodology for determining the composition of bargaining units in facilities is not only sound, but effectively and strongly supports the exercise of employee rights while recognizing the needs of patients and residents within facilities nationwide. The brief maintains that Congress’s hesitation decades ago to enact individual bargaining units in facilities – citing “the interruption of vital services” and “administration burdens to facility management” – remain relevant arguments today.

Long term and post-acute care communities work every day to provide a stable environment with competitive wages. The brief emphasizes that there is little to suggest that any substantial changes have occurred regarding the operation of these facilities that would necessitate any change.

The amicus brief was signed by a total of 54 associations, listed below:

The American Health Care Association (AHCA)
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)
The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care
Leading Age
American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA)
Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA)
Alabama Nursing Home Association
Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association
Arizona Health Care Association
Arkansas Health Care Association
California Association of Health Facilities
Care Providers of Minnesota
Colorado Health Care Association
Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities
Delaware Health Care Facilities Association
District of Columbia Health Care Association
Florida Health Care Association
Georgia Health Care Association
Healthcare Association of Hawaii
Idaho Health Care Association
Indiana Health Care Association
Iowa Health Care Association
Kansas Health Care Association
Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities
Louisiana Nursing Home Association
Maine Health Care Association
Massachusetts Senior Care Association
Health Facilities Association of Maryland
Health Care Association of Michigan
Missouri Health Care Association
Nebraska Health Care Association
Nevada Health Care Association
New Hampshire Health Care Association
Health Care Association of New Jersey
New Mexico Health Care Association
New York State Health Facilities Association
North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association
North Dakota Long Term Care Association
Ohio Health Care Association
Oklahoma Association of Health Care Providers
Oregon Health Care Association
Pennsylvania Health Care Association
Rhode Island Health Care Association
South Carolina Health Care Association
South Dakota Health Care Association
Tennessee Health Care Association
Texas Health Care Association
Utah Health Care Association
Vermont Health Care Association
Virginia Health Care Association
Washington Health Care Association
West Virginia Health Care Association
Wisconsin Health Care Association
Wyoming Health Care Association

To improve the quality of care in nursing homes for the 1.4 million Americans who currently reside in facilities across the country, the National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed 21 measures to be used to care for both long-term residents and short-stay patients. The NQF-endorsed measures will be used in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare, an online database for consumers to compare the care provided in more than 17,000 nursing homes across the country.

In 2004, NQF endorsed an initial set of measures for publicly reporting care in nursing homes. With the completion of the current project, the 17 measures that were previously endorsed will be retired and, in some instances, replaced by the newly endorsed measures. These measures were recently retired in the transition to CMS’ updated data collection instrument, the Minimum Data Set 3.0 (MDS 3.0).

“Choosing where to go for long- or short-term care in a nursing home is an incredibly important decision,” said Janet Corrigan, NQF president and CEO. “Patients and their families need reliable information on the quality of care being provided in skilled nursing facilities so they can make informed decisions about the place they will receive care on a daily basis. The quality data derived from these measures will provide important information about infection rates, patient care experiences, and the general health of residents in nursing homes across the country.”

The 21 NQF-endorsed nursing home measures assess patient outcomes and the patient’s own experience of care for both long-term residents and short-stay patients. The measures address falls, infections, pressure ulcers, and the general health of residents and patients. Examples of endorsed measures include:

Percentage of patients who received influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations;
Percentage of residents with urinary tract infections;
Percentage of residents who need increased help with activities of daily living; and
Patient experience of care surveys for both long-term residents and short-stay patients.

NQF’s Steering Committee on Nursing Homes was co-chaired by David Gifford, MD, MPH, Director, Rhode Island Department of Health, and Christine Mueller, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Professor and Chair, University of Minnesota School of Nursing.

“These measures will help consumers better understand and compare quality of care when selecting nursing homes and will help them to monitor care once they or a family member is in a nursing home,” said Dr. Gifford. “Nursing homes can also use these measures to benchmark how they are doing compared to others in addressing important nursing home quality of care issues.”

NQF is a voluntary consensus standards-setting organization. Any party may request reconsideration of the 21 endorsed recommendations, in whole or in part, by notifying NQF in writing no later than April 1, 2011. (To access the appeals form, go to the Nursing Homes project page.) For an appeal to be considered, the notification must include information clearly demonstrating the appellant has interests that are directly and materially affected by the NQF-endorsed recommendations and that the NQF decision has had (or will have) an adverse effect on those interests.

Endorsed Measures:

Physical therapy or nursing rehabilitation/restorative care for long-stay patients with new balance problem (RAND)
Percent of residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury (long stay) (CMS)
The percentage of residents on a scheduled pain medication regimen on admission who report a decrease in pain intensity or frequency (short stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents who self-report moderate to severe pain (short stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents who self-report moderate to severe pain (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents with pressure ulcers that are new or worsened (short stay) (CMS)
Percent of high-risk residents with pressure ulcers (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine during the flu season (short stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine (short stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents with a urinary tract infection (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of low-risk residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents who have/had a catheter inserted and left in their bladder (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents who were physically restrained (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents whose need for help with activities of daily living has increased (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents who lose too much weight (long stay) (CMS)
Percent of residents who have depressive symptoms (long stay) (CMS)
Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Nursing Home Survey: Discharged Resident Instrument (ARHQ)
Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Nursing Home Survey: Long-Stay Resident Instrument (ARHQ)
Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Nursing Home Survey: Family Member Instrument (ARHQ)
The National Quality Forum (NQF) operates under a three-part mission to improve the quality of American healthcare by:

Building consensus on national priorities and goals for performance improvement and working in partnership to achieve them;
Endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and
Promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.

Medicare profit margins for hospice providers could dip into negative territory thanks to two new cuts to Medicare reimbursements, according to a new survey.

Roughly 88% of hospice programs could see negative Medicare profit margins by 2019, according to the new study, which was released Monday by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Those profit margins are expected to fall from a national median of 2% in 2008 to minus-14% during that time. Rural hospice programs are expected to be hardest hit, dropping to an estimated minus-19% Medicare profit margin by 2019.

The Medicare cuts described in the NHPCO study would reduce reimbursement through a seven-year phase-out of the Budget Neutrality Adjustment Factor (BNAF), which is a key element in the Medicare hospice wage index calculation. The BNAF elimination would cut reimbursements by roughly 4.2%, according to the NHPCO study. A further Medicare hospice rate adjustment contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would reduce reimbursements by 11.8% over 10 years. A summary of the report is available at the NHPCO website and by clicking here.