KHCA/KCAL is committed to providing our members with important updates. Below is a list of the most recent information. Please visit our website for a list of complete updates. www.khca.org/covid-19-resources
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Guidance on Implementing Additional Precautions for Unvaccinated Staff Under CMS Vaccine Mandate
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) staff vaccination rule requires facilities to take additional precautions for those staff who remain unvaccinated due to a medical/religious exemption or newly hired staff who only have the first dose of the two-dose series. CMS provides a list of additional precautions in QSO memos QSO-22-07-LTC, QSO-22-09-LTC, and QSO-22-11-LTC.
It is important to keep in mind that facilities are not required to follow all the precautions listed by CMS in the QSO memo. However, they should be intentional about establishing appropriate policies around additional precautions and take a layered approach based on risk of COVID-19 transmission to residents they serve. For example, facilities may choose to test all unvaccinated staff at a higher frequency than required by CMS or CDC guidance, but only require unvaccinated staff with direct contact with residents to wear N95 masks.
In addition, facilities may want to reassign unvaccinated frontline caregivers to residents who are not at particularly high risk for negative outcomes due to COVID-19. READ MORE
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Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar
What exactly are “additional precautions”? F888 Says: “An example of an accommodation for an unvaccinated employee with a qualifying exemption could include mandatory routine COVID-19 testing in accordance with OSHA and CDC guidelines, physical distancing from co-workers and patients, re-assignment or modification of duties, teleworking, or a combination of these actions. Accommodations can be addressed in the facility’s policies and procedures. Staff who have been granted an exemption to COVID-19 vaccination requirements should adhere to national infection prevention and control standards for unvaccinated health care personnel. For additional information see CDC’s Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic webpage”. So, I ask again, what are “additional precautions”? READ MORE
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A Message from Kansas Health Alert Network
The COVID-19 case dashboard will NOT be updated on Friday 2/11/2022 as the system undergoes maintenance. We anticipate publishing the regularly scheduled update on Monday February 14, 2022. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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Data Show Long-Term Care Workforce Challenges Remain At "Crisis" Level, AHCA/NCAL Says
McKnight’s Senior Living (2/11, Bonvissuto) reports, "Federal jobs data show that long-term care workforce challenges remain at a ‘crisis’ level, according to the industry." A 6.7% decline in the assisted living workforce "reflects a loss of 31,200 caregivers – from 463,100 employees in February 2020 to 431,900 in January 2022, according to the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, citing data from the January Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation report." AHCA/NCAL said in a statement: "Unless Congress acts, nursing homes and assisted living communities will increasingly have to take drastic measures, further limiting access to care for vulnerable seniors."
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COVID-19 has long-term cardiovascular effects, ‘stunning’ study results reveal
COVID-19 patients are at high risk of developing new heart and blood vessel problems up to at least one year later, according to large study of U.S. veterans. The findings are solid evidence of long COVID, experts say. READ MORE
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CMS warns states: Survey fully or suffer consequences
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Wednesday sternly warned state survey agencies they must enforce all aspects of the federal programs’ health and safety requirements.
The notice does not cite the ongoing pandemic or the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate that applies to all Medicare- and Medicaid-supported healthcare facilities. But the memo is widely believed to be directed toward Florida and other states that have indicated they would not enforce mandate requirements. READ MORE
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Aetna Better Health of Kansas February Community E-newsletter
Content in this issue includes:
- A Different Type of Pharmacy Practice
- What is Campus Ed?
- A Guide to 2022 Value Added Benefits offered by Aetna Better Health of Kansas
- Out with the Old and In with the New: A Member Success Story
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KMAP Web Update
The KMAP website has been updated with General Bulletin 22017 regarding the KanCare All MCO First Quarter 2022 Virtual Training.
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HCBS Final Settings Rule Public Comments Notification
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) has posted a list of the following HCBS Settings Final Rule documents for public comment:
- Settings that have characteristics of isolation (Heightened Scrutiny Category 3).
Each setting will remain posted for 30 days to allow public comments from HCBS participants, guardians, their families, staff and other community stakeholders. READ MORE
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ICD-10 Coding Workshop (2 days in person)
Lawrence, KS
3/29 - 3/30/2022
8AM - 5PM
Diagnosis coding accuracy is paramount to appropriate payment under PDPM, as ICD-10 Diagnosis codes & other patient characteristics are used as basis for classification in determining MCR payment. The 5-day MDS establishes the PDPM payment category for the entire Medicare stay which is why it is so important to have good processes in place for establishing the principal diagnosis and having information to support coding all active diagnosis prior to the 5-day assessment reference date.
This program will include information regarding the Official ICD-10 Coding Guidelines, best practices for accurate ICD-10-CM code assignment, how to avoid common coding mistakes, and the importance of principal diagnosis identification.
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Webinar: The Proficient Infection Preventionist Series: Developing an Exceptional Infection Control & Prevention Program
2/15/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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Webinar: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle Series: Frontline Strategies for Fall Prevention: Environmental Measures, Activities Programs & Promoting Safe Movement
2/16/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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Webinar: Winning the Fall Prevention Battle Series: Conquering Falls Through Effective Care Planning
2/23/2022 1:30PM - 2:30PM
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Webinar: Survey Trends in Assisted Living
2/25/2022 1:00PM - 2:15PM
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Assisted Living FCS, NSA and HSP Lunch and Learn (in person)
3/4/2022 12:00PM - 4:00PM
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ICD-10 Coding Workshop (in person)
3/29 - 3/30/2022
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The AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit is Back! Registration Now Open!
Quality Summit will be held in Kissimmee, FL, May 16-18.
Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Lee A. Fleisher, MD, is the opening keynote speaker.
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Learn How to Create an Effective SNF Revenue Cycle Management System
AHCA offers a five-module online training program titled Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Academy which offers training about a holistic interdisciplinary approach toward revenue management. RCM can be implemented in a building, more broadly or as an organization-wide approach to enhance revenue by minimizing losses from payments that too often are unnecessarily lost or overlooked. Click here for more details.
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Kansas Health Care Association and the Kansas Center for Assisted Living
1100 SW Gage Blvd. | PO Box 4770 | Topeka, KS 66604
PH: 785-267-6003 FAX: 785-267-0833
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