News

The U.S. Department of Labor has rescinded the 2016 Persuader Rule that required employers to report whenever they seek assistance from consultants or lawyers to dissuade employees from joining unions. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new tool as part of its four-part online training series on antibiotic stewardship. 

Funding for essential programs that help people age in place were recently approved by the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees. 

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision issued a long-awaited opinion holding that the First Amendment prevents public sector unions from forcing government employees to pay union dues. While the decision applies only to public sector workers (and not private sector union employees), the decision will have an immediate impact in states like Minnesota where compulsory dues are required by law. 

A new, seven-minute QuickCast from LeadingAge is a fast way for members to get up to speed on HUD and Congressional proposals to change how rents of HUD-assisted residents, including older adult residents, would be calculated.  

As Congress broke for it July 4 recess, LeadingAge provided an update on where our legislative and regulatory issues stand on Capitol Hill and in the federal agencies. 

In November 2017, CMS began posting the number of hours worked by nursing staff submitted through the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system on data.cms.gov (see S&C memorandum 17-45-NH).

The U.S. House and Senate Appropriations bills have many similarities, but also some differences, as it relates to housing assistance for older adults with low incomes. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the following updates to the Nursing Home Compare and Payroll-Based Journal Data: 

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and Attorneys General from 16 states filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the moratorium on civil monetary penalties for deficiencies cited under Phase II of the care center Requirements of Participation.

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports are now available for review prior to public display of the performance data on the Nursing Home Compare site.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has introduced the Americans Giving care to Elders (AGE) Act, which would provide a tax credit for caregivers faced with the difficult task of helping older adults remain in their home. 

LeadingAge distributed a critical response to a recent recommendation by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to lower pay rates for skilled nursing facilities. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized revisions to its policies regarding mandatory immediate imposition of federal remedies. Quality Safety and Oversight Memorandum 18-18-NH describes the changes and replaces two Survey & Certification memos previously issued on this topic.  

As an affordable housing provider, are you ready for your next physical inspection by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development? Make sure you know your rights regarding scheduling, stopping a review in process, appealing unwarranted deficiency findings and/or responding to exigent health and safety violations by reading LeadingAge’s updated REAC Inspections Fact Sheet. 

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $44.5 billion for HUD in fiscal year 2019, including $678 million for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly account and $11.7 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance that provides the operating subsidy for approximately two-thirds of Section 202 homes. 

Chapter 4 of the RAI Manual is one of the least read and more important for quality outcomes. The in-depth discussion of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expectations for care planning in care centers contains excellent training and examples of how to conduct a thorough assessment to correct a care plan problem. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) sent LeadingAge Minnesota the following question-and-answer guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning F700 and the use of bed rails. 

To signal the importance of on-site RN coverage in care centers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added an icon to the Nursing Home Compare ratings of facilities that reported 7 or more days in a quarter with no RN hours through the Payroll Based Journal system.  

Medicare is removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards to prevent fraud, fight identity theft and keep taxpayer dollars safe. Medicare will mail new cards to Minnesotans on Medicare sometime after June 2018 and before April 30, 2019. The following information from the Minnesota Department of Human Services can help you respond to questions you may receive from residents.