Resources to Navigate COVID-19 Vaccine Survey Requirements
On December 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued surveyor guidance on assessing long-term care facilities’ compliance with a federal mandate for healthcare worker COVID-19 vaccinations. Surveyor enforcement is to begin within 30 days. The guidance in this memorandum does not apply to states currently in litigation to be heard by...
CMS Interim Final Rule (IFC) Updates Available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have released the memo, Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements and Revised COVID19 Focused Survey Tool. Access it here>>
Fireside Training Courses in June
Pathway Health offers multiple opportunities to strengthen your education in June. Register now for the following Fireside Training classes: Prepare for Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), presented in Montevideo, MN, June 4, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Director of Nursing – Basics, presented in Lake Elmo, MN, June 4 – 7, 9 a.m. – 4...
Data = Quality at Care Providers of Minnesota’ Webinar
Care Providers of Minnesota will host an online workshop titled, “Data = Quality,” to present the new regulations for publicly reported data in your long-term care facility. Pathway Health’s Karolee Alexander will work with webinar participants to teach how to use your facility’s data to improve quality and sustain high-level performance. Objectives include: Identify the...
New CMS Memos – Leadership “Need to Know”
We all know change is an inevitable, new reality in post-acute care. Our industry continues to transform utilizing data (organizational and public) as a determining factor for consumers, strategic partners, and regulators. In the past few weeks, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published three new QSO’s that directly impact providers. After...
CMS Regulatory Updates Effective April 2019
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent several updates recently that will impact providers. See below for more need to know information: April 2019 Improvements to Nursing Home Compare Freeze ending on Health Inspection Star Ratings – Inspectors will resume the traditional method of calculating health inspection scores by using three cycles of...
What Do You Really Need to Do Now to Prepare for PDPM?
When the Medicare payment model changes for nursing homes on October 1, 2019, the drivers of reimbursement will be dramatically changed. Under the current payment model, the amount of therapy provided to the resident in a seven-day period is the major determinant of the amount of daily payment the nursing home will receive from Medicare....
Home Care and Hospice Month: Honoring Health Care Professionals
November is recognized as Home Care and Hospice Month. At Pathway Health we pause to honor the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve. Gain more insight on home care and hospice facts and statistics: Home Health Prospective Payment System Fact Sheet...
Important Update for Post-Acute Care (SNF) Organizations
Skilled Nursing Facility Provider Preview Reports (per the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (SNFQRP)) have been updated and are now available. Through November 30, 2018, providers can review performance data on quality measures based on Quarter 2 – 2017 to Quarter 1 – 2018 data, prior to the January 2019 Nursing Home Compare site...
CMS To Resume Health Inspection Rating Posting Oct. 2019
Recently CMS announced that it will resume posting the average number of citations per inspection for each state and nationally in October 2019. CMS is monitoring outcomes of the new inspection process and plans to resume health inspection rating calculations (i.e., end the freeze) in the spring of 2019. Read the S&C memorandum 18-04-NH about the temporary “freeze”...
