April 28, 2023

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The Latest News

CMS Releases Major Medicaid Access and Managed Care Rules The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)​​ issu​ed two significant proposed rules for Medicaid and CHIP, related to increasing access to covered services (CMS-2442-P) and improving transparency in managed care (CMS-2439-P). CMS notes that the aim of the rules is to support states in better meeting the access and qu​​ality of care needs of Medicaid enrollees. ​​​There appears to be a particular focus on Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS), but further analysis is needed. Highlights from the Medicaid Access Rule include: Requirements of States to ensure that Medicaid provider payments in FFS systems are adequate enough to providers to ensure beneficiaries have sufficient access to covered care. The focus is on primary care and HCBS. Publication of and regular updates of Medicaid FFS payment rates for all services on publicly facing state website. Establishment of an advisory group to advise and consult on provider rates for direct care workers. CMS Fact Sheet Highlights from the Medicaid Managed Care Rule include:  Stipulation to states to complete and submit an annual payment analysis comparing managed care plans’ payment rates for certain services as a proportion of Medicare’s payment rate, and for certain home and community-based services, the state’s Medicaid state plan payment rate.  Removal of extraneous regulatory barriers to assist states in using state directed payments to implement value-based payment arrangements and include non-network providers in state directed payments.   Inclusion of several proposals that specify the scope of in lieu of services and settings to better address health-related social needs. CMS Fact Sheet For any questions pertaining to the information above, please contact Martin Allen at mallen@ahca.org or Nisha Hammel at nhammel@ahca.org.

FDA approves pill to treat deadly C. difficile infections The first-of-its-kind fecal microbiota pill treats recurrent infections caused by Clostridium difficile, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that’s a danger to nursing home residents. READ MORE

In Case You Missed It

Nursing Home Providers Enter Staff Training Phase for MDS Switch, Concerned About Agency Workers and State Variation As the skilled nursing industry steadily moves toward an Oct. 1 deadline for changes to the MDS, operators are stressing the importance of training staff to help accurately code under the new system, a byproduct of the switch to PDPM. READ MORE

KMAP Web Updates The KMAP Public Portal has been updated with General Bulletin 23113 regarding the All MCO 2nd Quarter Virtual Training.   A standard broadcast message has been added to alert providers. A standard RA banner message will appear on those available May 1 and May 8

KDHE/DHCF May 2023 Medicaid Training Opportunities 5 The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Health Care Finance, (KDHE-DHCF) will offer eleven Medicaid training courses beginning May 1, 2023. These are instructor-led, interactive courses available to the public, state agencies, and any stakeholder interested in Kansas Medicaid and KanCare.    The schedule and the course objectives can be found here. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis and instructions can be found below. Registration will close four days prior to the start date of each course. All courses are virtual via Zoom. Click here for more details.

Upcoming iQIES Service Center Hold Times Due to the Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) quarterly deadline, the iQIES Service Center is projecting an increase in the volume of calls and emails between now and May 15, 2023.  Click here for more details.

Education Spotlight

Person-Centered Dementia Care - From the Perspective of the Resident - Lunch and Learn 5/4/2023 10:00AM - 3:00PM This Lunch and Learn course includes the common framework and the stages of Dementia with a focus on improving the quality of care for individuals with dementia living in Long Term Care communities including Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, and Home Plus settings. Presented by Linda Farrar, RN, LNHA this course will look at how care partners can approach prevention and de-escalation of challenging behaviors and will help you to intervene when behavior escalates. You will know how to recognize, respond and calm the individual using non-pharmacological approaches.  Learning Objectives: Participants will demonstrate an understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias and the impact on cognitive function. Participants will demonstrate ability to identify key care approaches for stages of dementia promote the highest practicable level of well-being for elders with dementia. Participants will demonstrate understanding of strategies to enhance communication and minimize negative behaviors. Click here for more details.

Upcoming Education

Spring Sale! Required In-Service Bundles Assisted Living In-Service Bundle was $157.50 now $65! Click here for more details. SNF In-Service Bundle was $165 now $99! Click here for more details.

Two On Demand Webinars focusing on Social Services Role and Job Responsibilities of the Social Services Designee in LTC Social Service Documentation Access the new learning platform by clicking here.  Questions about education can be directed to Polly Berkley VP of Operations and Education.

Person-Centered Dementia Care...From the Perspective of the Resident Lunch & Learn 5/4/2023 10:00AM - 3:00PM Click here for more details.

Webinar: Deep Dive Into Federal Regulations in a Year: §483.24 Quality of Life Requirements 5/9/2023 1:30PM - 3:00PM Click here for more details.

Webinar: Mission Possible: SNF Department Head Briefing - Designs Well-Rounded Dietary Departments 5/23/2023 1:30PM - 2:30PM Click here for more details.

Nurse Leadership Conference 6/13/2023 11:00AM - 6/14/2023 4:00PM Click here for more details.

Administrator in Training (AIT) Program We are excited to announce our new AIT Program! Click here for more details.  Questions? Email Teresa Keating at tkeating@khca.org

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 khca@khca.org |  www.khca.org