Coronavirus Update #201
HFAM Update, Upcoming Webinar, MD Think Update,
Mental Health Resources, Testing and PPE Resources, Reminders
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HFAM Update
Friends,
It is possible that the first round of vaccines will be available in very limited quantities around late December. Once the vaccine is approved for emergency use, state governments can request distribution. Distribution to our sector will largely be handled by CVS/Walgreens via national contract and they will prioritize residents and patients in skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers. State and federal leaders are still discussing vaccine distribution and prioritization. There are several concerns around limited supplies and availability, which we and our partners are coordinating on.
Our message with the federal government and state government will be clear and concise: residents and staff in skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers MUST be the #1 priority for the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Bottom Line: Ensuring residents and staff in all long-term care and senior living settings are among the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will help limit the spread of this deadly virus and prevent further tragedies. We also want to get residents out enjoying social activities and seeing their loved ones again. In addition, assisted living campuses affiliated with skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers must also be prioritized, as must our entire sector. We will work with LifeSpan and LeadingAge Maryland on that front.
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT:
The State is receiving weekly shipments of monoclonal antibody treatment, which is mostly being sent to hospitals, for outpatient infusion and observation. We at HFAM, along with our colleagues at LifeSpan and LeadingAge Maryland, have been working together with state leaders to exchange ideas as Maryland rolls into Phase II of monoclonal antibody treatment in other settings. Right now we are advocating for use to be clinically driven, based on hotspots and the clinical need to preserve hospital capacity. All of this is VERY preliminary, and moving fast. Stay tuned.
REMINDERS, AS ALWAYS:
- People first, quality counts.
- Overcommunicate with residents, patients, families, staff, and government partners.
- Work with your hospital partners, and coordinate with local and state regulatory partners.
- Take and document your action; keep a timeline.
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CLICK HERE for the Dr. Katz Video, and please see the Donning and Doffing Checklist we first distributed a couple of months ago.
Still and always thankful for you, and onward together!
Be well,
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Joe DeMattos
President and CEO
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Upcoming Webinar: Physician Self-Referral (Stark) Law and Anti-Kickback Final Sprint Rules: Understanding the Impact
Join Baker Donelson for an in-depth discussion of the Physician Self-Referral law and Anti-Kickback final rules released on Friday, November 20, by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Thursday, December 3
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CT
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET
The webinar will address:
- The final value-based provisions with a focus on the distinctions between the OIG and CMS rules, and modifications made from the Proposed Rule
- Updates to the physician self-referral regulations including new exceptions and modifications to definitions and provisions aimed at modernizing the regulations
- New OIG safe harbors and updates to existing safe harbors
- How the final rules respond to the comments submitted to OIG and CMS
This webinar is a part of a series of efforts by Baker Donelson to share our extensive analysis of the rules and their imminent impact. A detailed written analysis will be forthcoming. Visit the Baker Donelson Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care page for the most up-to-date information.
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MD Think System Update
Coming early December 2020 will be an enhancement to the MD THINK Long Term Care E&E system to allow users the ability to generate a "Document Receipt". This will be created as a snapshot of the documents uploaded to a current case that contains the date/time of upload, who uploaded, and document type that will be available in printable/downloadable format. You will be notified once the final release date is confirmed.
Also, please note that the Tuesday, December 1, 2020 decommission of the DHS Office of Long Term Care (ltc.madocs@maryland.gov) dedicated email account is delayed until Friday, January 1, 2021.
Any emails sent to the old dedicated email address will receive an auto reply email informing the sender that the email account is no longer in use, beginning January 1, 2021. This means all applications, redetermination applications, and verifications submitted to the decommissioned email account on and after January 1, 2021 will not be received by the Office of Long Term Care.
We encourage all facilities and other representatives of long term care participants to use the E&E System to submit applications, redeterminations, interim changes, and documentation. Online submission reduces processing time and ensures accurate data entry.
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Maryland COVID-19 Crisis Support Program
The Maryland COVID-19 Crisis Support Program provides free, confidential mental health support to employees working in nursing homes and other long-term care support facilities who have been affected by COVID-19.
Under this program, licensed mental health clinicians are available virtually for group or individual sessions, with staff from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) onsite at your facility to assist personnel with training and mental health services.
For urgent requests, call 1-800-648-3001. To receive mental health services for yourself or your organization fill out this form now: bit.ly/marylandcovidsupport.
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Reminder: MDH LTC Redetermination Extension
On November 24, MDH announced that the Department has extended Medicaid redeterminations to March 31, 2021. The Maryland Department of Health (MDI-I) requested and received additional approvals from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to extend the deadline for renewal of Medicaid cases in Maryland, including Long-Term Care (LTC) Medicaid cases.
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Reminder: Healthcare Worker Exemptions and Contingency Capacity Standards to Mitigate Healthcare Staffing Shortages
See this guidance from MDH allowing asymptomatic healthcare workers who have been exposed to COVID-19 to work, at the discretion of the employer. Note that this guidance applies to both skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. |
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Need PPE?
Thanks to a partnership with our colleagues at LifeSpan Network and LeadingAge Maryland, we can help with that! Gloves, masks, gowns, shields, shoe coverings and more are available. Please contact APBeacon@Lifespan-network.org to let us know your PPE needs so we can provide you with the best pricing options.
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Diamond Medical Labs Testing
Diamond Medical Labs, located in Owings Mills, has the capacity to do in-residence test collection for nursing home residents and staff. We can count on Andy, Casey, and the team at Diamond. Also, they are happy to continue supporting HFAM members with COVID-19 testing at $75. Their average turn-around time is 24-27 hours on weekdays.
In addition, please see this additional information about other Diamond programs:
Contact Andy Diamond at andy@diamondmedicallabs.com or 443-992-2782 if there is demand at your center or if you would like additional information. |
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Testing Information from Eurofins
Eurofins, an associate HFAM member and trusted global network of over 800 laboratories is helping facilities comply with COVID-19 testing requirements for staff and residents by offering direct bill RT-PCR testing for $75 per test for HFAM members. This price includes:
- Your choice of nasal or nasopharyngeal swabs
- Test kits with the supplies needed to administer the testing, including pre-labeled return packaging materials
- Physician ordering if needed
- Priority shipping via FedEx of kits both to your facility and back to the lab for analysis
- 48 hour testing turn-around time*
- Access to our user-friendly portal for electric entering and reporting
Eurofins also offers this testing for third party billing at $100 per test upon request.
*Clinical Enterprises reports 80% of test results out within 24 hours from time of receipt at the lab. Eurofins states a 48 hour turn-around time to give cushion and deliver on their commitment.
For all of Eurofins' COVID-19 testing solutions, please CLICK HERE.
If you have any questions or would like additional information please contact
reference that you are an HFAM member to get the above discounted rate.
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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.
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Additional Resources and Guidance
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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.
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