NHSN LTCF Respiratory Pathogens and Vaccination Module: Updates to Resident Data Collection Form and Up to Date Definition for Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Data Reporting of Healthcare Personnel and Residents (Replay) When: Oct 9, 2024 01:00 PM …
Long-term care facilities can track weekly vaccination data for residents and healthcare personnel (HCP) through NHSN. September 2024 Updates Weekly RPV Summary – Data Collection Forms and Instructions LTCF Resident LTCF Weekly RPV Summary Protocol …
Provider Bulletin #22a October 1, 2024 Dear Colleague, We are pleased to announce several important updates for the provider community and others who rely on Livanta’s services as a Medicare Beneficiary and Family Centered Care …
Hurricane Helene – South Carolina and Tennessee (2024) Secretary Becerra used his authority in the Public Health Service Act to declare a public health emergency (PHE) on September 30, 2024, giving us the flexibility to support our …
Event Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) – Suicide Prevention Training Event Date: October 9, 2024 2 – 3 p.m. ET ACCME & NAB CREDITS WILL BE OFFERED. This 1.5-hour evidence-based live instructor lead training is held …
Compliance with Residents’ Rights Requirement related to Nursing Home Residents’ Right to Vote Memo #QSO-24-21-NH Posting Date 2024-09-26 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is affirming the regulatory …
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Long-Term Care Facility Component Manual Tracking Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) in Long-term Care Facilities The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Manual 2025 COVID-19 VACCINATION PROTOCOL Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Module for …
With the help of contractors, CMS revised the SNF ABN, Form CMS-10055, and the form instructions. The SNF ABN form and instructions are located in the download section and are available for immediate use, but …
This ZIP file contains resources for surveyors conducting initial surveys under the Long-term Care Survey Process (LTCSP). It is a one-stop shop containing a multitude of reference materials that are provided to the surveyors going …
Modules 2 and 10 in the Targeted COVID-19 Training for Frontline Nursing Home Staff and Managers at the Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP) online training from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have been updated. …
Certain For-Profit Nursing Homes May Not Have Complied With Federal Requirements Regarding the Infection Preventionist Position (A-01-22-00001) Not all for-profit nursing homes we reviewed met Federal requirements. Seventy-six of the 100 for-profit nursing homes in …
Hurricane Debby – Georgia and South Carolina (2024) Secretary Becerra used his authority in the Public Health Service Act to declare a public health emergency (PHE) on August 07, 2024, giving us the flexibility to support our …
Secretary Becerra used his authority in the Public Health Service Act to declare a public health emergency (PHE) on July 12, 2024, giving us the flexibility to support our beneficiaries in Texas, effective retrospectively since July 05, 2024. …
Link to rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-16907/medicare-program-prospective-payment-system-and-consolidated-billing-for-skilled-nursing-facilities Wage index files: CMS-1802-F Wage Index Tables for FY 2025 – Final (ZIP) Fact Sheet: On July 31, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule updating Medicare …
CMS created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily. The Nursing Home Compare Web site features a quality rating system that gives each nursing home …
Note: On July 23, 2024, CMS posted a revised Nursing Home Compare Claims-based Quality Measure Technical Specifications and Nursing Home Compare Quality Measures Technical Specifications Appendix The Technical Specifications include the following revision note: Revision: …
Healthcare Workplace Violence Speaker Series Workplace safety affects all healthcare staff, patients, and visitors. ASPR TRACIE recently added two new recordings to our Workplace Violence Speaker Series: An Overview of the Healthcare Facility Armed Assailant Planning …
F-tag 689 (Free of Accident Hazards/Supervision/Devices) was the No. 1 tag cited at the immediate jeopardy (IJ) level in 2023—and remains at the top halfway into 2024, according to QCOR data accessed on June 30, …
Everyone loves a good mystery. Many like to watch their favorite mysteries on television or read a good thriller. However, mystery and suspense should not be a part of the facility assessment review. The final …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the Standing Technical Expert Panel (TEP) for the Development, Evaluation, and Maintenance of Post-Acute Care (PAC) and Hospice Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Measurement Sets Summary …
Acentra Health is the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organization (BFCC-QIO) for the same regions. We are happy to let you know that we will continue to perform our Medicare-contracted reviews through 2029. …
PUBLICATION DATE Jun 28, 2024 AUTHORS Martin Blanco, Iara Oliveira, Marie Squillace, Damian Da Costa In April 2024, CMS issued the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting final …
Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting; Correction SUMMARY: This document corrects typographical and technical errors in the final rule that appeared in …
Memo # QSO-24-13-NH Posting Date 2024-06-18 Effective Date: 2024-08-08 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary • Under the “Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting” final rule, the requirements …
Recently Added Items Announced Agency Title Component Report Number(s) June 2024 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Assessment of the Special Focus Facility Program for Nursing Homes Office of Evaluation and Inspections OEI-01-23-00050;OEI-01-23-00052 June 2024 …
Engineering controls can be implemented to isolate people from a hazard and provide protection for long-term care residents and staff. Engineering Controls for Long-Term Care
This site includes access to a provider enrollment and certification roadmap: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/provider-enrollment-and-certification/enroll-as-an-institutional-provider
The NHSN Long-term Care Facility Component supports the nation’s COVID-19 response through the LTCF COVID-19 Module. Facilities eligible to report data to NHSN’s COVID-19 Module include nursing homes/skilled nursing, long-term care for the developmentally disabled, and assisted …
Improves quality of information on labels, safety data sheets; takes effect July 19, 2024 WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced a final rule from its Occupational Safety and Health Administration that will update the …
Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) Tool for General Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Across Settings https://www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections/php/toolkit/icar.html AT A GLANCE ON THIS PAGE
https://www.cdc.gov/long-term-care-facilities/hcp/training/index.html AT A GLANCE ON THIS PAGE Course link: https://www.train.org/cdctrain/training_plan/3814 Training resources
https://www.cdc.gov/long-term-care-facilities/hcp/prevent-mdro/faqs.html AT A GLANCE Frequently asked questions about using enhanced barrier precautions in nursing homes to prevent MDROs. ON THIS PAGE
https://www.cdc.gov/long-term-care-facilities/hcp/prevent-mdro/PPE.html KEY POINTS How to implement personal protective equipment (PPE) use in nursing homes to prevent spread of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs). Summary of recent changes Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes – Video, Posters, …
AGENCY: Office for Civil Rights, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Final rule and interpretation. SUMMARY: The Department …
Q1. What is CMS announcing? Q2. What are the finalized minimum nurse staffing standards? Q3. Why did CMS decide to finalize a total nurse staffing threshold? Q4. What if my facility already exceeds this level …
The Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting final rule adopts the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed three-pronged, comprehensive staffing approach for Medicare- and Medicaid-certified …
When an abuse situation occurs, staff must know how to respond and must do so in a timely manner. Opportunities to practice enable staff to sharpen their responses to these events. AAPACN’s Mock Abuse Drill …
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers Nursing home minimum staffing standards promote resident care and safety Medicaid and CHIP to have historic access …
See the section “Enhance Enrollees’ Rights to Appeal a Medicare Advantage Plan’s Decision to Terminate Coverage for Non-Hospital Provider Services” for details on expedited determination changes for Medicare Advantage residents. Contract Year 2025 Medicare Advantage …
Update: April, 2024 CMS consistently strives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our nursing home oversight and compliance programs to protect residents’ health and safety. In 2017, CMS implemented a new nursing home survey …
Report 1: Concerns Remain About Safeguards To Protect Residents During Facility-Initiated Discharges From Nursing Homes Issued on 03/29/2024 | Posted on 04/03/2024 | Report number: OEI-01-18-00251 Report Materials Why OIG Did This Review Facility-initiated discharges that do not follow Federal regulations …
A survey finding of noncompliance with the Medicare and Medicaid requirements of participation may soon be a little more difficult for nursing homes to navigate without significant financial burden. In the March 28, 2024 Fiscal …
Enhanced Barrier Precautions in Nursing Homes to Prevent Spread of Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) Memo #QSO-24-08-NH Posting Date 2024-03-20 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary • CMS is issuing new guidance for State Survey Agencies and long term care …
Nursing homes are required to establish a surveillance system (i.e., “the routine, ongoing, and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of surveillance data”) as part of their infection prevention and control program (IPCP) under F-tag …
According to the Nursing Homes webpage of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) site, “Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities (NFs) are required to be in compliance with the requirements in 42 …
“Why in the world did my staff member say this?” and “Why did my staff do that?” are two questions that no director of nursing services (DNS) wants to have when reading the Statement of …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now requiring all certified skilled nursing facilities to report healthcare personnel influenza data through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). The reporting period for this data …
Issued on 02/26/2024 | Posted on 02/29/2024 | Report number: OEI-02-20-00492 Report Materials Full Report (PDF, 1.5 MB) Why OIG Did This Review Nursing home residents and staff have been especially impacted by the COVID‑19 pandemic. Now, it is critical to learn from …
Skilled Nursing Facilities Pooled proportion of healthcare personnel reported as vaccinated in Skilled Nursing Facilities reporting to NHSN, by personnel group and state, 2022-2023 influenza season. From https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/datastat/flu-datatables.html
Main Points Deprescribing has emerged as a clinical practice to reduce polypharmacy and use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and serve as a mechanism for quality improvement and increased patient safety. The purpose of this …
Under F-tag 726 (Competent Nursing Staff) in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual, nursing staff, including registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical or vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs), must have “the competencies …
The expedited determination beneficiary notification process covers a lot of ground in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), affecting residents in the fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare Part A program and Medicare Advantage plans, as well as residents who …
(CMS-3326-F) Memo # QSO-24-03-CLIA Posting Date 2023-12-28 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary• Publication of Final Rule: CMS-3326-F was published on December 28, 2023. This final rule updates the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) …
Video and transcript available This live Q&A session allowed participants to ask CMS subject matter experts about the methodologies and interpretations of the CMS Health Equity Confidential Feedback Reports for post-acute care (PAC) providers in …
Memo # Admin Info: 24-05-NH Posting Date 2023-11-20 Fiscal Year 2024 Memorandum Summary • Guidance and Focus Concerns – Identifies the FY2024 and FY2025 Focus Concerns and guidance on how CMS Location staff will conduct …
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Rules Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Disclosures of Ownership and Additional Disclosable Parties Information for Skilled Nursing Facilities and Nursing Facilities; Medicare Providers’ and Suppliers’ Disclosure of Private Equity Companies …
In the Jan. 18, 2023, Quality, Safety, and Oversight (QSO) memo QSO-23-05-NH, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans to conduct offsite audits to assess whether nursing homes appropriately assess, document, and …
The GCPG is a reference guide for the health care compliance community and other health care stakeholders. The GCPG provides information about relevant Federal laws, compliance program infrastructure, OIG resources, and other items useful for understanding health …
Over the past few years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has placed increasing emphasis on drug regimen review (DRR) aka medication regimen review (MRR). Since 2018, skilled nursing facilities have captured one …
Admissions are vital to a facility. They may occur daily, or even multiple times a day, and should be a part of routine operations. However, the admission process can be cumbersome, and it is easy …
The admission process can be lengthy, and staff can miss important details. Use the Medical Record Audit: New Admission/Readmission checklist to ensure the facility has obtained critical information from newly admitted and readmitted residents and …
Question: We completed a combined 5-Day/Admission assessment on day 15 of the stay. After submission, our system shows we are out of compliance for CAAs/MDS based on the signature/completion date. Do we need to bill …
Memo (Technical corrections posted: 09/27/2023): QSO-23-01-NH (PDF) Press release: Changes to CMS’ Special Focus Facilities program will increase scrutiny, hold facilities accountable for substandard safety and quality, and improve care for residents As part of the …
Memo # QSO-23-23-NHs Posting Date 2023-09-25 Fiscal Year 2023 Title Memorandum Summary CMS is committed to reinvesting civil money penalty (CMP) funds for projects to support the quality of care and life for nursing home …
In the long-awaited Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes a three-pronged, comprehensive staffing approach for Medicare- …
In February 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at improving quality and safety for residents in nursing homes. One aspect of this initiative was conducting a new Nursing Home Staffing …
F740 (Behavioral Health Services) is not a frequently cited F-tag so far in calendar year (CY) 2023, according to QCOR data posted on Aug. 13, 2023. However, the consequences can be severe—surveyors often issue this …
Memo # QSO-23-02-ALL (EXPIRED) Posting Date 2023-07-25 Fiscal Year 2023 EXPIRATION INFORMATION: CMS PUBLISHED A FINAL RULE WHICH ENDED THE REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO STAFF VACCINATION FOR ALL PROVIDER TYPES, EFFECTIVE ON 8/05/23. ADDITIONALLY, THIS RULE …
The use of psychotropic medications in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) is a controversial issue with implications for resident, regulatory, and financial outcomes. The many requirements can be confusing, especially for a relatively new director …
Nursing homes face significant risk and liability under F-tag 609 (Reporting of Alleged Violations), says Janet Feldkamp, RN, BSN, LNHA, CHC, JD, a partner in the Benesch Healthcare + Practice Group at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan …
So far in fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023), F-tag 607 (Develop/Implement Abuse/Neglect, etc. Policies) is not even in the top 20 most frequently cited F-tags nationwide. However, this citation does …
Memo # QSO-23-18-NH Posting Date 2023-06-28 Fiscal Year 2023 Memorandum Summary • Posting Nursing Home Affiliation on Nursing Home Care Compare: CMS will include ownership and operatorship affiliation information on our Nursing Home Care Compare …
The director of nursing services (DNS) position is multi-faceted, and a new DNS must learn a lot quickly. Areas such as providing residents quality care and staffing take top priority, and rightfully so. However, another …
On May 11, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ended certain emergency waivers; put in place during the public health emergency, these waived some F-tag elements that would otherwise have applied during …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Alexis Roam, MSN, RN-BC, CPHQ, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, AAPACN curriculum development specialist, discuss how to …
From MLN Connects: CMS finalized staff education requirements while ending the COVID-19 staff vaccination requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. These provisions were included in the “COVID-19 …
A systematic approach to utilizing the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES), (formerly CASPER), reports is necessary for QAPI, survey readiness, and reimbursement. While there are numerous reports available via iQIES, this tool highlights …
Antipsychotic drug use among long-stay residents decreased steadily from 31 percent in 2011 to 22 percent in 2019, according to the November 2022 report Long-Term Trends of Psychotropic Drug Use in Nursing Homes from the …
Prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) were gearing up to take more medically complex fee-for-service Medicare Part A residents, including residents with infusion therapy needs, as a result of …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, AAPACN curriculum development specialist, discuss the new …
Nursing Home Visitation – COVID-19 (REVISED to align with the end of the COVID-19 PHE) Memo # QSO-20-39-NH REVISED 05.08.2023 Fiscal Year 2023 Summary • CMS is committed to continuing to take critical steps to …
Infection Control Guidance Updated May 8, 2023 For healthcare personnel, see Isolation and work restriction guidance. For strategies to mitigate healthcare personnel staffing shortages, see Contingency and crisis management. For healthcare professionals advising people in non-healthcare settings …
F557 (Respect, Dignity/Right to Have Personal Property) is one of the shorter F-tags in terms of the amount of guidance provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), coming in at well under …
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), “Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities (NFs) are required to be in compliance with the requirements in 42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B, to …
In calendar year (CY) 2022, F-tag 695 (Respiratory/Tracheostomy Care and Suctioning) was the 13th most-cited at the immediate jeopardy (IJ) level. In comparison, F695 was the 17th most frequent citation at the IJ level in …
Through this Notice, OIG is notifying the public of the following: • OIG will no longer publish updated or new CPGs in the Federal Register. All current, updated, and new CPGs will be available on …
In calendar year (CY) 2022, F-tag 695 (Respiratory/Tracheostomy Care and Suctioning) was the 11th most commonly cited F-tag nationwide. In comparison, F695 was the 16th most common citation overall in CY 2021 and only the …
In this podcast, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, vice president of education and certification strategy for AAPACN, and Denise Winzeler, BSN, RN, LNHA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, AAPACN curriculum development specialist, discuss the latest …
The ABN, Form CMS-R-131, and form instructions have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. The use of the renewed form with the expiration date of 01/31/2026 will be mandatory on 6/30/23. …
Memo # QSO-23-11-LSC Posting Date 2023-03-31 Fiscal Year 2023 Summary Various CMS regulations governing certain providers and certified suppliers require compliance with the 2012 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Health Care Facilities …
Quality of life is a “fundamental principle” that feeds into—and flows from—all resident care and services, according to 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §483.24. The F-tag 675 surveyor guidance in Appendix PP of the …
The National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center (NETEC) has released a workbook for “assessing operational elements for special pathogen preparedness, response, and recovery unique to the long-term care setting.” The workbook is designed …
Find resources and technical assistance at https://nursinghomebehavioralhealth.org/ Current resources include: Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities – Frequently Asked Questions DOWNLOAD SAMHSA informational pamphlet about bipolar disorder’s definition, signs/symptoms, types and treatment …