This message contains confidential information and is intended only for KHCA/KCAL membership. Dissemination, distribution or copying the contents of this email beyond this group is strictly prohibited. |
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Recording Now Available: Medicaid Reimbursement Transition to PDPM, Effective July 1, 2024
This 90 minute webinar with Dave Halferty from Myers and Stauffer and the KDADS team covered reimbursement, scenarios and timelines for the Medicaid Reimbursement Transition to PDPM Effective July 1, 2024.
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What They Are Saying: Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, U.S. Small Business Administration Among Latest Voices To Express Concern Over Staffing Mandate
Growing Bipartisan Opposition Illustrates How Federal & State Leaders Are Putting Policy Over Politics
The list of elected officials and federal leaders who are weighing in on the Biden Administration’s flawed federal staffing mandate for America’s nursing homes continues to grow. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO-08), U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05) and U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) wrote letters to Biden Administration officials to express their concern about the unintended consequences of the proposed rule.
Governor Kelly, U.S. Representatives Smith and McMorris Rodgers, and U.S. Senator Crapo specifically drew attention to the impact that the mandate will have on access to care in rural communities. The SBA highlighted that the majority of nursing homes are small businesses, argued that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) possibly underestimated the true cost of the mandate and should have conducted an initial regulatory flexibility analysis. These officials are among dozens of state and federal leaders on both sides of the aisle that have spoken out against the mandate in recent weeks, underscoring that protecting seniors’ access to care is not a partisan issue.
Read more from their letters here.
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Submit Your Intent to Apply - DEADLINE IS NEXT WEEK!
Get involved with National Quality Award program today. Submit a 2024 intent to apply (ITA). If you need help with navigating the Portal, click here. Contact AHCA/NCAL at qualityaward@ahca.org with any questions!
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KCAL District 4 Round Table
Friday, November 17, 2023
1:30PM - 3:30PM
Brookdale Salina Fairdale
2251 E. Crawford Street, Salina, KS 67401
Assisted Living Round Table with Kansas Center for Assisted Living Board Members
- Joye Gfeller - District 4 VP
- Brett Pu - KCAL Secretary/Treasurer and NCAL State Leader
Includes all Assisted Living, Home Plus, and Residential Health Care Communities in District 4. (See image for counties included in this district.)
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A Message from the President & CEO Mark Parkinson
Thank You and Let's Keep Going
I wanted to send a message to say THANK YOU. Thank you for all of your work to submit comments on the CMS proposed minimum staffing rule. The official comment period closed Monday, and our initial goal was to submit 10,000 comments from AHCA/NCAL members. You all went above and beyond, submitting more than 18,000 comments to make sure CMS understands the devastating impact of this proposed rule on our profession and those we serve.
What’s even more impressive is the fact that more than 13,500 comments were submitted from AHCA/NCAL members as part of the pre-rule campaign conducted earlier this year. So, all together, you have submitted 31,000+ comments on this proposed rule alone. I don’t know of any other profession that could’ve come together like that and made that much of an impact. This is a tremendous effort, and I want to say thank you again.
What Happens Next?
CMS has to review each and every comment letter before it can move forward. With the number of comments that have been submitted, this will take a while. Only then can the agency decide how and when to move forward. There is no required timeline, so CMS can take as long as it needs. We will continue to keep you apprised of any updates we receive on next steps and timing.
Let’s Keep Going
In the meantime, AHCA/NCAL will not stop fighting this proposed rule. We will maintain our ongoing advocacy efforts, meet with members of Congress, communicate with the Administration, and sustain our press efforts to ensure we get our message across loud and clear. You can continue to support this effort, as well, by meeting with your members of Congress in your districts. Hosting facility and community tours also remains important. Now more than ever, we need to make sure our elected officials see what we do, who we care for, and the need for supportive policies to strengthen our workforce versus finalizing this unfunded, impossible to implement one-size-fits-all mandate.
Our team is ready to assist you. Heather Posthumus and Matt Smyth on the AHCA/NCAL Government Relations team can help as you plan visits with members of Congress. You are also encouraged to use the AHCA and NCAL issue briefs on the proposed minimum staffing mandate as we continue these efforts. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Heather or Matt if they can help at all.
Thanks again for everything you do, especially on this effort. Let’s continue to work together to ensure our residents and caregivers have the support they need and deserve through meaningful investments and policy solutions. This is not over, and we will continue to fight for you and your residents.
Sincerely,
Mark Parkinson
President & CEO, AHCA/NCAL
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HCBS Appendix K Unwinding Notice- UPDATED
Click here to find a detailed overview of progress on the Appendix K Unwinding, including key services to be continued or discontinued and the current status of the unwinding process. The updates are highlighted in yellow.
Please take a moment to review the notice. If you have any questions, or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to KDADS.HCBS-KS@ks.gov. |
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SCAM ALERT!
Once again scammers are hiding behind fake emails, this time using board member names. The return address is usually a dead giveaway but is often hard to see from your mobile device.
Example:
From: Suzie Sexton <t.coulter3@ntlworld.com>
Date: November 7, 2023 at 10:34:16 AM CST
Subject: Operating Expenses
If you ever doubt the authenticity of an email from KHCA/KCAL or one of our board members, don’t reply. Please call the KHCA/KCAL office. (785) 267-6003
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HCS AL Salary & Benefits Study - Deadline Extension
The HCS Assisted Living Salary & Benefits study has been extended to November 20th. The study is supported by NCAL.
There is no cost to participate in the study; the participant rate is $185 (prepaid) or $205 (billed). Questionnaires may be downloaded at: www.hhcsinc.com. For any questions, contact Rich Cioffe at rjcioffe@hhcsinc.com, (201) 405-0075, ext. 10.
Last year’s Report contained data from over 1,100 ALFs/RCFs/PCFs nationwide. The results cover management salaries, nonmanagement wages, and fringe benefits. Data will be reported by region, state, CBSA, revenue size, profit type, and bed-size. Information on eighteen fringe benefits, shift differentials, turnover rates, sign-on bonuses, and other facility/staffing metrics will also be included. The results will be published in January 2024.
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Virtual ICD-10 Coding Workshop
12/4/2023
8:30AM - 4:00PM
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: Deep Dive Into Federal Regulations in a Year: §483.60 Food and Nutrition Services
11/14/23 - 1:30PM-3:00PM
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Fall 2023 Joint Provider Surveyor Training |
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11/15 - 11/16/2023 9:00AM - 3:50PM
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Webinar: Mission Possible: SNF Department Head Briefing - Departmental Collaboration and Teamwork
11/28/23 - 1:30PM-2:30PM
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Virtual Adult Care Home Operators Course
11/29 - 12/12/23
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Virtual ICD-10 Coding Workshop
12/4/2023 8:30AM - 4:00PM
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Administrator in Training (AIT) Program
Looking for an AIT Program? Click here for more details on KHCA's Program.
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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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