Friends,

You and your teams have learned along the way, gotten better, and have improved PPE use, isolation, observation, coordination with physician partners, the use of telemedicine, and in testing. While federal CARES Act funding directed to individual skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers across the county, including Maryland, has had a huge positive impact, adequate augmented State funding is still critically needed. CLICK HERE for a piece I wrote in McKnight’s

With you, HFAM is committed to strategic testing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Hard Stop. Centers without testing contracts and who have not been adequately testing should be fined by the State and need to take action now to get it right. But weekly testing absent timely 48-hour results are not truly clinically actionable, and weekly testing in our sector in Maryland has an annual cost of over $100 million. That is why we worked with our members and physician partners to draft the this letter and draft a testing policy proposal to Governor Hogan yesterday.

In addition to testing and adequate State funding going forward, I personally remain very concerned about national PPE rationing and shortages, the upcoming Labor Day Holiday, and the increased demand schools and universities will put on commercial lab testing as we enter the fall. CLICK HERE for a powerful CNN clip from AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson where he said governors and state public health agencies need to focus on reducing the level of COVID in the general population and ensuring nursing homes obtain the PPE supplies and reliable testing they need.

Important: Throughout this pandemic, HFAM has been transparent and frequent in putting testing, lab, and infectious diseases management resources in front of members and the entire sector. We do this without financial gain to the Association. We strive to be part of the solution, a resource on these fronts, and look for private-sector solutions to problems in this overwhelmed environment. 

I was introduced to Eurofins by a trusted friend and colleague. I am impressed by Eurofins, their offerings, and the entrepreneurial approach of the company. Please see an advance copy of an ad that is set to appear in Provider Magazine. I will write more and share more about Eurofins in the future, keep an eye out. In the meantime, I strongly urge you to contact Karen Gerwitz, Business Development Director, Eurofins at 716-206-9874 or [email protected].

As an additional reminder on testing, here is the MDH list of approved labs and below is information on the LifeSpan testing resource.

Be well,

Joe DeMattos

President and CEO

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Quality, Safety & Oversight (QSO) memo to states yesterday instructing them to return to normal survey process as soon as resources in the state allow and in accordance with states' reopening plans. It also provides guidance on how to resolve pending enforcement actions suspended as a result of prior QSO memos on March 23, 2020 and June 1, 2020 that suspended some survey enforcement actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) shared this notice regarding provider Medicaid timeframe to request a participant fair hearing and file provider appeals extension. Please share this notice with appropriate staff members in your organization.

On August 14, 2020, Secretary of Health Robert Neall issued an amendment to the Public Notice originally issued on March 24, 2020, regarding the timeframe for Participant Fair Hearing and File Provider Appeals Extensions.  This amendment impacts the timeframe within which providers must file an appeal of a Department action. 

Under the original Public Notice, the Maryland Department of Health (“the Department”) extended the timeframe for requests by Medical Assistance providers to file appeals under COMAR 10.09.36.09 until 30 days after the end of the Maryland state of emergency due to COVID-19. The extension previously granted is being discontinued effective September 1, 2020 in light of the Department’s determination that an indefinite extension for filing of appeals is no longer appropriate or necessary. The COVID-19 pandemic may continue for some time and providers have not experienced substantial challenges submitting claims.  

Effective September 1, 2020, providers will have 30 days to file an appeal consistent with the requirements of COMAR 10.09.36.09.  

Any appeals that were not filed between March 12, 2020 and the date of the revised Public Notice issued on August 14, 2020, must be filed on or before September 18, 2020. 

You can view the recorded webinar here. 

You can also view the webinar's Powerpoint presentation here.

In addition, HERE is the SNF to ED transfer form that was discussed on the call.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Please review this information on DME donations from the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Aging, Rona Kramer.

MDH issued an Updated FAQ on Managing New Admissions and Readmissions for Maryland Nursing Homes

This update clarifies the guidance regarding what to do when a facility does not have a single-person room available for readmission, review changes to FAQ # 3 in the guidance.  

For the most current information including call schedule changes, please click here.