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On Jan. 31, HUD posted a preview version of its final rule implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), which Congress enacted in 2016. HOTMA was a bipartisan bill that sought to streamline aspects of HUD’s rental assistance programs, including by making changes to resident income calculations and reviews.

As more providers continue to look at applying for an Employee Retention Credit (ERC), LeadingAge, our national partner, has developed a Frequently Asked Questions document that covers issues around eligibility and applying for those funds. 

Each year, the state calculates the average salary of RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and TMAs in care centers using the data from the annual cost reports. Then the state computes the statutory caps on the amount Supplemental Nursing Services Agencies (SNSAs) can charge per hour for each type of staff. The new caps, effective Jan. 1, show significant increases due to staffing cost increases during the pandemic. 

This week, the House Human Services Finance Committee heard HF 733, a bill that would facilitate raising wages for professional caregivers in aging services. This important legislation is the top priority of our 2023 legislative agenda, and LeadingAge Minnesota was thrilled to work with bill sponsor Rep. Heather Edelson (DFL-Edina) to produce a strong hearing.

On Monday, President Biden announced he will end the public health emergency (PHE) on May 11. This announcement was not a surprise given the shift towards our new “normal” the pandemic has created for everyone. 

Superior Health Quality Alliance is offering a free nine-part emergency preparedness series on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m.

Learn best practices for preparing for your next survey at the 2023 Institute & Expo. In addition to the survey-focused sessions below, many of the 21 state agency update sessions include survey findings, areas for improvement, and preparation resources. 

Would you value being in a supportive cohort of Assisted Living Directors, Licensed Nursing Home Administrators, Nurse Leaders, and Medical Directors from across the state to explore challenging issues? If you're open to a candid discussion of your knowledge, questions, and experiences working with older adults, read on!

The Veterans' Administration (VA) released new rates for CY 2023 that are effective for care delivered on and after Feb. 1. Nationally, adult day services (ADS) rates increased by 7%, then adjusted by the location's wage index. In about ten locations, VA medical centers (VAMC) asked the VA to freeze CY 2022 rates for CY 2023, and these requests were approved; most of the locations were in Northern California.

According to recent news from the White House, the federal Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division's proposed overtime rule will now be published in May. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was initially slated for April 2022 but then delayed to October that year. The May goal represents a second delay.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tasked its Vaccine and other Related Biologicals Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) to review proposals related to COVID-19 vaccines. Items scheduled for review include changing the primary vaccine doses to the bivalent vaccine and whether the composition and schedule for booster doses should be adjusted.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released tools to assist nursing homes in implementing enhanced barrier precautions. The resources include an EBP webinar and PowerPoint handout, an EBP pre-implementation tool, an observation tool, an observation tool summary, and several different letter templates, all available on the website.

Providers enrolled or seeking enrollment with the State Department of Human Services (DHS) as home and community-based service providers, including waiver-paid customized living or adult day services, must include evidence of two specific trainings.

LeadingAge Minnesota, with our partners in the Long-Term Care Imperative, conducted a statewide public opinion poll to support our legislative agenda in 2023. The poll results affirm and refine the key messages we use and help us target supporters who advocated alongside us throughout the legislative session.

We are thrilled to announce that LeadingAge Minnesota has been awarded over $400,000 to launch a statewide campaign to recruit new caregivers.

This week Governor Tim Walz released his budget proposal, a mixed bag for long-term care providers. While it acknowledges and takes steps to address the underfunding of the Elderly Waiver (EW) program, it does nothing meaningful to address the staffing shortages and resulting access problems in the care center sector.

LeadingAge, our national partner, is hosting a special edition of the Nursing Home Network on Friday, Jan. 20, at noon CST. They are soliciting feedback on the recently-proposed rules governing Medicare Advantage and Special Needs Plans practices and policies.

A recent federal court case regarding a wrongful death claim is a good reminder for all providers: check the expiration dates on your insurance policies.

Changes to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) civil penalty amounts based on cost-of-living adjustments for 2023 went into effect on Jan. 17.

On Jan. 17, CMS survey staff leaders notified our national partners at LeadingAge that they are automating parts of the process for creating and sending letters to nursing homes for imposed Civil Monetary Penalties (CMPs). There is no underlying CMP policy change being made.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently reminded assisted living providers to customize all pre-written sample policies to avoid correction orders.

On Jan. 18, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced two initiatives in quality and safety oversight memo 23-05-NH in response to the Biden-Harris administration effort to improve nursing home transparency, safety, and quality. CMS intends to conduct offsite nursing home audits to determine if the nursing home correctly coded diagnoses for residents using antipsychotic medication. CMS will change how citations under dispute are posted.

This morning, Governor Tim Walz released a preview of his proposed budget addressing Minnesota's workforce challenges. This preview covers a variety of sectors and includes some investments benefitting aging services.

Over 20 LeadingAge Minnesota skilled nursing facilities are piloting an employee engagement solution to improve employee retention through data-driven action.

On Jan. 5, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to prohibit employers from imposing noncompete clauses on workers. Noncompete clauses or agreements block people from working for a competing employer or starting a competing business after their current employment ends.

Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) sent revalidation notices at the end of December to Home and Community-Based Services (provider type 18 organizations starting with letters S and T).

The Caregiver Stabilization Act (SF 7) was heard in the Senate Human Services Committee on Monday afternoon.

LeadingAge Minnesota completed a survey of our adult day services members to evaluate their financial health and the challenges they are facing in recovering from the impacts of the Covid pandemic. The results make clear that adult day service providers face many challenges as they attempt to maintain this vital part of the network of services for the elderly and disabled.

The Public Health Emergency (PHE), first declared in Jan. 2020 and extended continually for 90-day periods since then, has been extended for another 90 days until April 11. 

The 2022 Long-Term Care Updated Surveyor Guidance six-part webinar series is available on demand.

Initially recorded in the Fall of 2022, this series covers the guidance updates and what you need to do to be ready for a survey from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance on minimum health and safety standards in Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities that went into effect on Oct. 24, 2022.