The Lead May 28, 2021 - LeadingAge Illinois

Life Plan Communities/CCRCs:
LPC Advisory Group

Assisted Living:
Prioritize Provider Relief
IDPH Extends Rules on CMS Mandated Training

Independent / Subsidized Housing:
Congress Needs to Support Affordable Housing for Older Adults
IHDA Adopts Emergency Rental Assistance Rules

Top Stories:

The CDC has now updated their training materials for healthcare professionals. The training resources cover the following areas:

Cross-cutting topics
Vaccinations
Clinical care and infection control
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)
Emergency preparedness and response
Additional topics, and external trainings

You can view more information here.

With gratitude,

Karen

Public Comment Notice on Implementation of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Section 9817: Additional Support for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services during the COVID-19 Emergency
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) has posted a new Public Comment Notice regarding Implementation of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Section 9817: Additional Support for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services during the COVID-19 Emergency. Click here for the notice and additional information.

Illinois is seeking public input on developing and implementing a spending plan to reinvest the increased federal FMAP funds in HCBS through two separate statements of public notice and during the Public Education Subcommittee (Pub Ed) meeting of the Medicaid Advisory Committee (MAC) on June 3, 2021.

Advocacy Center Update
The Illinois General Assembly will be in session all weekend before their scheduled adjournment at midnight on May 31. Their tasks: final passage of legislation and a state budget.

Relief Funding:
As we reported previously, our major push is $435 million in relief funding for nursing homes, assisted living communities, and supportive living programs. Many members made contact with their legislators after receiving our alert on this earlier this week. If you have yet to reach your legislative offices, please make contacts as soon as possible so we can further strengthen this advocacy effort. We have been communicating with legislators continuously in our asks, including contacting legislative leaders.

The Illinois Department on Aging (DoA) is receiving about $50 million from the America Rescue Plan. Most of the funds are targeted towards Older Americans Act funds. DoA is also receiving an enhanced FMAP of 10% for April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022 for expenditures. DoA has until March 31, 2024 to spend those dollars. They will use these dollars for the Community Care Program (CCP).

Medicaid Rate Reform:
We will be pushing for our Medicaid Rate Reform proposal, which essentially ties rates to staffing and quality, to be adopted. We have had several meetings with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and other stakeholders, as well as a meeting with the HFS Director and leadership this week on our proposal.

Grocery Tax:
As we reported previously, SB2432, passed through the Senate with no opposition, but did not make it out of the House Revenue and Finance Committee as the Chair did not call bills that offered credits or exemptions. The sponsor, State Representative Kelly Burke (D-36th District; Oak Lawn), informed LeadingAge Illinois she has requested that the language be placed in the Budget Implementation Bill (BIMP). We are awaiting word of its inclusion.

Staffing:
Additional language we are pushing to be added to the BIMP is in regards to the staffing rule and submission of data. We are requesting language added to the data submission requirement that states that the manner in which the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) requests payroll-based journal information to be submitted shall align with Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requirements, allowing providers to submit the quarterly data in an aggregate manner. We also would like implementation of fines to be delayed. We had a call this week with House Majority Leader, Rep. Greg Harris (D-13^th District; Chicago) on this request. We also were involved in a meeting with Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18th District; Chicago), assistant majority leader and president pro tempore to make this request.

In regards to workforce, we continue to inform legislators of the clear need for assistance with this area. Legislation related to the Nurse Licensure Compact, Temporary Nurse Assistants (TNA) and Medication Aides did not move forward this session, but continues to be a need presented to legislators. The Governor renewed his executive order allowing out-of-state healthcare workers to work in Illinois communities during the public health emergency. We feel that this should be permanent.

If you have any questions, please contact Jason Speaks.

LeadingAge Illinois and the other aging services associations had our weekly meeting with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) yesterday afternoon.

Here is a recap:

Staffing Data:
IDPH will be distributing written guidance on the forms, training information, and notices to providers regarding how to submit your staffing data. IDPH staff will also be available to provide technical assistance. IDPH has extended the submission date to July 1, 2021, but will not delay the implementation of fines. LeadingAge Illinois and the other associations will continue to attempt to place language in the Budget Implementation Bill (BIMP) this weekend that will delay the implementation of fines.

Nathan Leitner from IDPH presented again on the online form. He took feedback from the associations provided at the last meeting and trimmed and improved the form; however, IDPH confirmed that they could not accept the federal PBJ file in its place. In the section on staffing hours, there is a section for nurses and the social services director and a miscellaneous section for other staff (rehabilitation, therapy aides, psychiatric services, etc.).

The RN Waiver information should be released Tuesday. IDPH will send the form and instruction sheets as well as schedule webinars.

Involuntary Discharge:
There has been no determination from the Governor’s Office or IDPH on if the involuntary discharge executive order and emergency rules will be extended. The associations asked if the state can consider allowing nursing homes and congregate settings to access the rental assistance funding available to landlords. LeadingAge Illinois is in support of HB3666, which would allow nursing homes to initiate a discharge for lack of payment/payment plan.

IDPH Webinars:
The June 18 webinar has been cancelled.

Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Webinar
LeadingAge, AHCA, and AMDA are jointly collaborating with the federal COVID response team to hold a live event, “Update on the Use of Monoclonal Antibody (mAB) Therapies for COVID-19: A Review of New Treatments and At-Risk Populations.” The event is set for June 15 at 3:00 PM ET, and will be available on the AHCA Education platform. Dr. Michael Anderson of the federal COVID response team will present an overview, followed by a panel with a representative from each of the three associations talking about experiences, obstacles, and opportunities with mAB. Register here for the event.

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Weekly TANs and Medicaid Pendings Update
LeadingAge Illinois consultant, Matt Werner, has provided his weekly update on Transaction Audit Numbers (TANs).

Life Plan Communities/CCRCs:

LPC Advisory Group
The Life Plan Community Advisory Group will meet June 3 at 10 a.m. CST. Please join Rafael Haciski, vice president of senior living from Johnson, Kendal, and Johnson to talk about insurance and liability. The advisory group is open to Life Plan Community members to discuss operational issues and the strategic direction of their communities. The agenda will include open discussion on topics such as workforce, masking, re-opening and guidelines. If there are any questions, please contact Janine Finck-Boyle at LeadingAge.

Assisted Living:

Prioritize Provider Relief
The Biden Administration is expected to announce the next tranche from the Provider Relief Fund. Argentum has been leading advocacy efforts to prioritize immediate relief to senior living providers, and we are calling on all senior living advocates to amplify our message to HHS and the Biden Administration: Relief must be prioritized to senior living providers.

As you know, relief to date has been insufficient to meet the more than $15 billion that providers have incurred in expenses/losses last year alone from COVID-19, with only $1 billion allocated so far. Last month, 59 members of the House of Representatives and 25 Senators joined our call by sending a letter to the administration urging targeted and equitable relief.

In the final days before an announcement is made on the next tranche of funding, we urgently need the Administration to hear from leaders in Congress that senior living must be prioritized for relief.

Taking action is quick and easy! Pre-written messages are available that can be sent directly to your member of Congress (just add your contact information), or you can call your representative and Senators and follow our phone-script.

Please join LeadingAge Illinois and Argentum in this effort.

IDPH Extends Rules on CMS Mandated Training
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has extended emergency rules for Assisted Living and Sheltered Care effective May 17 for 150 days. They require frontline clinical and management staff to undergo free COVID-19 training provided by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Persons hired after January 31, 2021 must complete the training within 14 days after hiring. At least 50% of staff hired on or before that date must have completed training by February 28, 2021 and all staff hired prior to January 31 must have completed training by March 31, 2021.

Topics addressed in the training program include infection control, personal protective equipment, disinfection, screening, and caring for individuals with dementia during a pandemic. Additional topics addressed in training for management staff include emergency preparedness and surge capacity, emotional health of residents and staff, telehealth for nursing homes, and preparing the facility’s vaccine delivery system.

Frontline staff required to complete this training include facility medical directors and nursing directors, treating physicians, nurses, aides, rehabilitation coordinators, social service directors, and any licensed physical, occupational or speech therapists. Volunteers, students, contractors, consultors and caregivers who provide or engage in direct care or services to residents on behalf of a facility are also considered frontline staff and must complete the training program.

Independent / Subsidized Housing:

Congress Needs to Support Affordable Housing for Older Adults
Congress is considering hundreds of billions for affordable housing as part of an infrastructure package. This package must include affordable housing for older adults.

Act Now by contacting your U.S. Representative and Senators and urging them to invest in our affordable senior housing infrastructure.

Tell Congress to:

Expand the supply. Invest at least $2.5 billion in HUD’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program to build 27,000 affordable senior homes. This $2.5 billion proposal is consistent with the 116th Congress’s S. 2951, H.R. 5187, and H.R. 2 (the House-passed Moving Forward Act).
Fund more service coordinators. Invest $1 billion for 3,867 three-year Service Coordinator contracts for the HUD-assisted senior communities currently without one. Only half of HUD-assisted senior housing has a service coordinator, the mainstay between residents and home and community-based services.
Provide internet access in affordable housing. Ensure that the more than 2.2 million older adults in federally-subsidized affordable housing buildings have basic internet access. We urge any package to include the Broadband Justice Act (H.R. 1904), which authorizes $5 billion for broadband as a utility and such sums as may be necessary for wiring and installation for all HUD, USDA, and Housing Credit homes.
Establish a capital pool for age-friendly retrofits to meet building design needs in the HUD-subsidized housing stock. LeadingAge supports a $1 billion pool of capital funds, administered by HUD under a new Age-Friendly Retrofit Program, to help current and future older adult households live in independent housing for as long as they choose to do so. Funds can be used for COVID-responsive ventilation systems, to make more federally-subsidized units fully accessible to meet existing and future needs, and to create and/or modernize physical spaces for services.

Yesterday, LeadingAge held a telepresser outlining the crisis facing millions of older adults who need safe and affordable housing. Watch the telepresser recording and read the press release.

IHDA Adopts Emergency Rental Assistance Rules
The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) adopted emergency rules on Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Programs, effective May 14 for a maximum of 150 days. To qualify, a household must have an income at or below 80% of the area median income or experienced economic hardship attributable to the COVID-19 outbreak and individuals that can demonstrate a risk of homelessness or housing instability. Landlords qualify for this program if they agree to waive any late fees or other charges accrued by an eligible household during the period covered by the grant and agree not to pursue eviction or other legal action for lack of rent payment.