COVID Update #239
HFAM Update and Reminders
|
|
Friends:
With deeply saddened hearts, we inform HFAM members of the passing of Louis Rubin, President/CEO, Radiation Physics, Inc. Lou was a member of HFAM for over 35 years. As an Associate Committee member, he represented this membership category with pride. In 2009, he was honored as the recipient of the Milton Moskowitz Excellence in Achievement Award. Lou was a person of integrity and dignity, a mensch in every sense of the word. He was ever-present for HFAM, our members, and the entire sector— always saying yes when asked to support our programs and events. He was a dear colleague and friend to me, the whole HFAM staff, leadership family, and many more.
Noted Rabbi and Scholar Harold S. Kushner wrote the following quotes:
- "I am quite confident that the most important part of a human being is not his physical body, but his non-physical essence, which some people call 'soul' and others, personality the nonphysical part cannot die and cannot decay, because it is not physical."
- "What cannot be achieved in one lifetime will happen when one lifetime is joined to another."
We will always be joined with Lou Rubin, and we will carry on his work and his caring heart. May his name be only for blessing.
General Update
- We continue to be thoroughly and increasingly engaged in the regular session of the Maryland General Assembly. We are advocating and negotiating on essential issues relative to visitation, testing, public health, workforce, and the budget, among others. In this work, we are fortunate for our Legislative Steering Committee and our members' insight, guidance, and legislative relationships. Last week was the mid-point of Session, and we are now in the acceleration phase that occurs before the April Sine Die. Onward together!
- Together with AHCA/NCAL in Washington DC, working with my colleague state CEOs, and through our relationships here in Maryland, we are tracking the coming federal stimulus funding to state and local governments. Timing of the passage will be critical as to when states can allocate those funds. Here in Maryland, we have constitutional budget tensions between the legislative and executive branches. Maryland is unique in that the Governor has budget authority. Again, timing will be critical.
Vaccines
- With AHCA/NCAL nationally and with other associations here in Maryland, we are advocating for next steps in our sector's vaccination operation and workflow.
- On Friday, AHCA/NCAL and LeadingAge sent a letter to President Biden calling for vaccine supply to be allocated to the institutional pharmacies in our sector.
- To participate, the institutional pharmacies must sign up with both the federal and state governments; few have signed up.
- The federal CVS/Walgreens program for skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers that started in Maryland on December 23, 2020, is pretty much complete, with 90,000 doses having been administered.
- The assisted living vaccination being undertaken by CVS/Walgreens as part of the federal contract is likely half done.
- The independent living partnership via the federal program and with state partnership is moving slowly and intentionally forward.
- As for the way forward, we have been advocating for weeks that institutional pharmacies like Remedi, OmniCare, and Partners Pharmacy be given federal or state vaccine allocation to continue the work begun by CVS/Walgreens.
- The Biden Administration intends to proceed nationally in the way we have been advocating here in Maryland.
- Two challenges: The institutional pharmacies may not want to do it, and again the current vaccine supply is low.
- As a nation, we will have MUCH more of all three vaccines a month from now, but we will need to get through March.
As Always:
- People first, quality counts.
- Be prepared to deploy people and PPE around your organization.
- Our sector MUST double our efforts on infectious disease protocol, staffing, PPE, observation, and testing.
- Train, train, and train teams again on infectious disease protocol.
- Recognize that COVID-19 fatigue is an issue across the county, not just in our sector.
- Overcommunicate with residents, patients, families, staff, and government partners.
- Sound alarms early.
- Know that WE WILL get through this and that you are saving lives!
- Work with your hospital partners, and coordinate with local and state regulatory partners.
- Take and document your action; keep a timeline.
-
CLICK HERE for the Dr. Katz Video, and please see the Donning and Doffing Checklist we have been sharing.
Be well,
|
|
Joe DeMattos
President and CEO
|
|
Reminder: Diamond Labs Testing and Reporting
Diamond Labs is happy to announce that, with the release of the new codes from CMS, they are able to compliantly test and bill staff members’ insurance for the testing. If centers are using the screening code z11.52 as intended, Diamond Labs is able to test staff and bill their insurance.
In addition, Diamond Labs will also inherit the burden of reporting all results, rather than committing staff time to report and send results.
Diamond Labs’ method yields a 99.97% accuracy rate via the PCR method, averages a 24-hour turnaround time, and sends reports via three separate methods.
With vaccine administration, there has also been an increase in antibody testing to see if vaccines are working to build antibodies. Diamond Labs is working the State to identify patients that still test positive after getting both doses of the vaccine -- some theories are exploring the idea that those patients are not building antibodies and/or they came in to contact with new strains of the virus.
If any HFAM members are looking for prompt, accurate results with a timely turnaround, please contact Casey Young via email cyoung@diamondmedicallabs.com or phone at 443-742-4051.
|
|
 |
The 2021 HFAM Conference “Together We Re-Imagine” will be held in person October 4 – 7, 2021 at the Maryland Live Hotel and Casino in Hanover, Maryland. Hundreds of long-term care leaders will connect, share best practices and discuss actionable insights on how we can reflect, reform, rebuild, and revolutionize quality care. You and your teams will not want to miss this opportunity as we come together again.
|
|
|
|
Reminder: Webinar on COVID-19 Revenue Supplemental Schedule
The Maryland Department of Health and its contractor, Myers and Stauffer LC, are holding a webinar to review the COVID-19 Revenue Supplemental Schedule. This schedule and the accompanying memorandum from MDH are available on the Maryland section of the Myers and Stauffer website at https://www.mslc.com/Maryland/Resources.aspx.
The webinar will be on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. To register for the webinar, CLICK HERE.
Once at the website, select the Register link in the Event Status line. Once on the registration page, complete the first name, last name, email address, and confirm email address fields. All four fields are required. Then select the Submit button. After selecting the Submit button, you will receive a calendar invitation with a link to join the webinar.
The webinar will review the schedule and instructions and the timeline for submitting the schedules. There will be a question and answer period at the end of the webinar. If you have any questions that you would like to submit prior to the webinar, please send them to jdresslar@mslc.com. The webinar will be recorded and posted to https://www.mslc.com/Maryland/MD_Seminars.aspx for any providers that are not able to attend the live session.
|
|
Reminder: Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) Repayment – Two Months and Counting
AAP repayments for all Medicare providers who received AAP payments begin one year from date of the AAP receipt. Repayment start dates are specific to SNF providers associated with their date of AAP receipt. For many SNFs, repayment dates begin in April 2021. Providers do not need to take any action to repay.
Rather, Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) automatically will begin to recover payment amounts reducing paid claims until the AAP is repaid. AHCA was successful with ensuring SNFs were including in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act. This law extended and modified the repayment schedule. Additionally, the law fixed the interest rate at 4%. Normally, AAP payment extensions are subject to the Treasury Department’s given interest rate. Access to these provisions offer more time to repay and more predictability through a fix interest rate.
Based on the statutorily defined schedule, SNFs should assess their cash flow for quarter two of 2021. For an AHCA overview of the repayment schedule, additional AAP information (including options to request payment extensions), and MAC webpages, click here. To review the CMS FAQs, click here.
|
|
|
Did you miss HFAM's previous alerts?
Visit our website to view all previous HFAM alerts, as well as guidance
from our federal and state partners.
|
|
|
|
Additional Resources and Guidance
|
|
|
Thank you.
We cannot thank you enough for the dedication and diligence in doing all that you can for the residents in your communities. HFAM continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic with our state and national partners and will do all we can to support you during this time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
