The Lead August 5, 2021 - LeadingAge Illinois

From the Desk of Angela Schnepf, President and CEO

Nursing and Rehabilitation:
CMS on Source Control in Nursing Homes
SNF PPS Payment Update
Updated 2021 Short Form LTC Cost Report Files
Changes to CMP Structure for Skilled Nursing Facilities

Independent/Subsidized Housing:
CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium in High Transmission Counties

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS):
CDC Adult Day Guidance Updated
Illinois Statewide Transition Plan Initial Approval

Other:
LeadingAge Illinois PAC Cubs Tickets Raffle – Purchase Your Chances by 11:59 p.m.

From the Desk of Angela Schnepf, President and CEO
I wanted to take this opportunity to mention how thrilled I am to take on this new role with LeadingAge Illinois. I look forward to the association providing the highest standards of member service and meeting your needs through technical assistance, advocacy, education and more. I am proud to serve such strong members providing quality adult life services that are second-to-none. We will not miss a beat in serving your needs and look forward to continuing to serve.

Member engagement is an integral part of your membership. We are a member-driven association. One of the upcoming areas you can engage in is our Member Public Policy Priorities Forums. These forums, specific to member settings, gives you an opportunity to set our 2022 priorities in the legislative/regulatory arena. Please take a look at the listing of upcoming forums in today’s edition of The Lead and help us better advocate for you.

Kindest regards,

Angela

Top Stories:

With COVID Cases on the Rise, Illinois Launches Site to Share Vaccination Data in Long-Term Care Facilities
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Wednesday that COVID-19 vaccination data for both residents and staff in long-term care (LTC) facilities is now available on the IDPH website. Given that facilities have experienced a significant portion of COVID-19 deaths, particularly early in pandemic, this resource will be critical for tracking COVID-19 vaccinations for both staff and residents in facilities across state, according to the Department.

The data is derived from the Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File, a federal resource that includes data reported by nursing homes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Healthcare Safety Network Long Term Care Facility COVID-19 Module: Surveillance Reporting Pathways and COVID-19 Vaccinations. Nursing homes are required to report vaccinations of residents and staff to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. More information about these guidelines can be found in the Vaccination Immunization Requirements memorandum.

Help Set the LeadingAge Illinois 2022 Public Policy Priorities

The LeadingAge Illinois 2022 Public Policy Priorities Member Forums are your opportunity to provide input and help us set our 2022 Public Policy Priorities. In these free, one-hour virtual forums LeadingAge Illinois staff will provide a recap of the spring legislative session, a landscape for the 2022 session, and provide other information and updates to give you the background needed to help us identify the top legislative priorities for the next year. Please come prepared to discuss your challenges and suggestions on how we can have a stronger impact in your day-to-day operations, and more.

2022 Public Policy Priorities Member Forums:

Nursing Facilities Forum
Thursday, August 5
10-11 a.m.
Register Here

Life Plan Communities/CCRC Forum
Thursday, August 12
10-11 a.m.
Register Here

Assisted Living/Supportive Living Forum
Tuesday, August 17
10-11 a.m.
Register Here

Housing Forum
Tuesday, August 24
10-11 a.m.
Register Here

HCBS Forum
Tuesday, August 31
10-11 a.m.
Register Here

Impending Deadlines
We want to keep you updated with reminders of items that have deadlines coming up. Check here each newsletter for updates.

August 5: LeadingAge Illinois PAC Cubs Tickets Raffle. Contribute here by 11:59 PM on August 5, 2021 to be entered into the raffle (one entry per $25 contributed).
August 20: Submit Comments on OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard. Deadline has been extended until August 20.
August 30: Funding of $103 Million from American Rescue Plan Dedicated to Reducing Burnout and Promote Mental Health in the Health Care Workforce. Applications for each of the funding opportunities are due August 30.

Nursing and Rehabilitation:

CMS on Source Control in Nursing Homes
During LeadingAge National’s bi-weekly provider association call, they asked how the new information on the Delta variant and the updated public health recommendations from CDC might impact nursing homes and other health care settings. CMS reiterated what they had heard previously from CDC: at this time, there are no plans to change source control and social distancing recommendations in healthcare settings. (Review current recommendations here).

CMS stated that while there continues to be a correlation between community spread and nursing home spread, the relationship is not as strong now as it was during the “pre-vaccination era”. While case rates are climbing in nursing homes, the increases are not as steep and the illnesses are not as severe as we’ve seen in the past. Specifically, there are fewer hospitalizations and deaths in nursing home residents. This is encouraging news, but it only works if nursing homes continue their hard work on core infection control principles including appropriate source control and social distancing, adherence to testing protocols, and continuing to drive up vaccination rates. CMS will continue working with CDC to evaluate the data and determine the need for future changes to source control or testing recommendations.

SNF PPS Payment Update
On July 29, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule updating Medicare payment policies and rates for skilled nursing facilities under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) for FY 2022. In addition, the final rule includes several policies that update the SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) and the SNF Value-Based Program (VBP) for FY 2022. CMS is publishing this final rule consistent with the legal requirements to update Medicare payment policies for SNFs on an annual basis. This fact sheet discusses the major provisions of the final rule. Click here for more from CMS.

Updated 2021 Short Form LTC Cost Report Files
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has posted the Updated 2021 Short Form LTC Cost Report Files. Click here to view the notice from HFS.

Changes to CMP Structure for Skilled Nursing Facilities
CMS issued QSO 21-20 NH, a one paragraph memo, that removes the July 7, 2017 Memo (S&C 17-37-NH) from the CMS guidance repository. In that now defunct memo, CMS instructed CMS Locations (formerly “Regional Offices”) to impose civil monetary penalties for prior noncompliance solely on a per-instance basis. Upon further consideration, as spelled out in this new brief memo, CMS has determined that the agency should retain the discretion at this time to impose a per-day penalty where appropriate to address specific circumstances of prior noncompliance.

Independent/Subsidized Housing:

CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium in High Transmission Counties
The CDC issued a new order temporarily halting evictions in counties with heightened levels of community transmission “in order to respond to recent, unexpected developments in the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rise of the Delta variant.”

The Order is intended to target specific areas of the country where cases are rapidly increasing, which likely would be exacerbated by mass evictions. Landlords and owners may not evict covered individuals (people who declare under penalty of perjury they meet six threshold requirements, including having made “best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing”) in counties experiencing substantial or high levels of community transmission, as defined by the Order. The August 3 Order expires on October 3, 2021, “but is subject to further extension, modification, or rescission based on public health circumstances.” Read the Order here.

Click here to view resources on the Emergency Rental Assistance program. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a toolkit on rental assistance on July 28, as well as resources to help consumers with housing costs.

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS):

CDC Adult Day Guidance Updated
The CDC updated their Adult Day Services guidance on July 14. The updated guidance includes a section on promoting vaccination; adds guidance for adult day centers where everyone is fully vaccinated; updates guidance for centers where not everyone is fully vaccinated; and updates guidance on indoor and outdoor mask guidance. In the ever changing environment of the emergence and quick spread of the Delta variant (and the increase in cases), some of this guidance may need to be updated again soon.

Illinois Statewide Transition Plan Initial Approval
On July 26, 2021, the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) notified Illinois of their initial approval of Illinois’ HCBS Statewide Transition Plan (STP). Click here to view more on the plan.

Other:

LeadingAge Illinois PAC Cubs Tickets Raffle – Purchase Your Chances by 11:59 p.m.
On August 6, we will hold a drawing for 4 tickets (with a parking pass) to a Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers game. Earn a raffle entry for every $25 contributed to the PAC by 11:59 p.m. tonight.

RAFFLE PRIZE: 4 Tickets (and Parking Pass) to a Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers Game

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 11:59 PM
Deadline to be counted in raffle, one entry per $25 contribution

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 @ 12:00 PM Central Time
Raffle Drawing

GAME: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2021 @ 7:05 PM
Wrigley Field
Chicago

Prize Includes:
Camry Lot Parking Pass
4 Game Tickets
Section 27
(Row 11 Seats 5/6; Row 12 Seats 5/6)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Contribute here by 11:59 PM on August 5, 2021 to be entered into the raffle (one entry per $25 contributed).
In the “write a note” section, type “Cubs”
The minimum donation for a raffle drawing entry is $25.
Each $25 contribution earns you an entry in the raffle drawing (e.g. a $100 donation gets you 4 entries). The higher your contribution, the more chances you have to win!

The raffle will be conducted on August 6, 2021 at noon Central Time live on Zoom (those with raffle chances will be sent the link). If the raffle winner is not present, they will be notified immediately following the drawing.

The Cubs Tickets Raffle is sponsored by: