News

AHCA/NCAL NFP News – February 2020

February 4, 2020

— Highlights include: Quality Summit and Independent Owner Leadership Conference: Act Now To Save on Registration and Hotel Support H.R. 4468, the Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act AHCA ID/DD Congressional Hill Fly-In Event This Month! ‘Sharing Our Wisdom’ Announced as 2020 Theme for National Skilled Nursing Care Week We Need You for Our Social Media Initiative... Read More

AHCA Issues Statement on Updated MedPAC Skilled Nursing Margins

December 30, 2019

— Washington, D.C. — Mark Parkinson, President and CEO at the American Health Care Association (AHCA), issued the following statement in response to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) updated skilled nursing facility (SNF) margins. Read the full article here

Music and Memory Program Making a Powerful Impact

December 20, 2019

— The Music and Memory Program at the Governor Bacon Health Center making a big difference in the lives of its residents. Check out this except from the upcoming documentary about the program.

Population Health Management Models Spark Interest

December 9, 2019

— Continued utilization of data in the delivery of health care quality in the long term care setting is paramount. AHCA/NCAL is investing in Population Health options for its members. “Long term and post-acute care (LT/PAC) providers continue to show an increasing interest in forming specialized Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, or Special Needs Plans (SNPs), for their long-stay... Read More

Medicaid supplemental payments could be harmed by newly-proposed federal rule

December 6, 2019

— Important changes to Medicaid payments proposed by CMS. “A new proposal aimed at clamping down on “impermissible financing arrangements” under Medicaid could hurt supplemental payments providers currently receive. The announcement caused ripples of concern throughout the provider community Tuesday.” Check out the full article at: https://www.mcknights.com/news/medicaid-supplemental-payments-could-be-harmed-by-newly-proposed-federal-rule/

Feds grant $750,000 for senior care in Sussex

December 6, 2019

— Congratulations to one of our members, Nationwide Healthcare Services. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has granted three Sussex County nonprofits $750,000 to develop a program to help improve the quality of life for homebound seniors.” Check out the full article at: https://www.nationwidehealthcare.com/blog/feds-grant-750000-for-senior-care-in-sussex/

Preparing for trauma-informed care in LTC

December 6, 2019

— With ROP changes effective 11/28/19 check out this article summarizing the F-tags that address trauma-informed care and how to identify trauma in residents. “A 75-year-old female resident reports to her nurse that she has been having nightmares for the past several nights. She has been feeling nervous during the day.” Check out the full article... Read More

’Tis the season to help families address end-of-life care

December 6, 2019

— The holidays can bring visits from family members who may not have the opportunity to visit residents regularly. The article below is a resource to prompt the important conversations around Advanced Directives and end of life. The links to more information about Advance Directives and the DMOST form: https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dsaapd/advance1.html https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dsaapd/dmost.html http://delawaremost.org/?page_id=30

CMS to Toughen Oversight of State Inspections of SNFs

November 4, 2019

— Read the latest news on the tightening of oversight with state inspections of skilled nursing facilities. “In a recent memo, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it is strengthening the system it uses to hold inspectors accountable under the State Performance Standards System (SPSS) for examining compliance with federal regulations by skilled... Read More

AHCA Responds to CMS Announcement on NHC Changes

October 23, 2019

— “Washington, D.C. — Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will later this month begin to display on Nursing Home Compare a consumer alert icon next to nursing homes that have been... Read More