Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the nursing home COVID-19 data for the week ending May 21, 2023. Comparing the May 21, 2023 data to the May 14, 2023 data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate decreased 0.1% this past week; Residents up to date with vaccines…… Continue reading Most Recent CMS, CDC and NHSN COVID-19 Nursing Home Data

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Late afternoon on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, CMS filed Final Rule 2023-11449 to be published in the Federal Register on Monday, June 5, 2023.   The official title is Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Policy and Regulatory Changes to the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Requirements; Additional…… Continue reading CMS Policy and Regulatory Changes to the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Requirements

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Below is important information regarding Long-term care facilities (LTCF) and reporting COVID-19 data to NHSN once the Public Health Emergency has ended. Long-term care facilities that are CMS certified will still need to report to the LTCF COVID-19 Module Surveillance Pathways (Resident Impact and Facility Capacity,…… Continue reading UPDATED RESOURCE AVAILABLE: Introduction to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) Web-Based Training

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The National Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended on May 11, 2023. This means that Iowa Medicaid will begin returning to pre-PHE operations and roll back some of the flexibilities allowed during the PHE.  The Iowa Medicaid team has put together a chart of the various different…… Continue reading IA Department of Health and Human Services: Public Health Emergency Unwind

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the COVID-19 nursing home data for the week ending May 14, 2023. Comparing the May 14, 2023 data to the May 7, 2023 data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate increased 0.1% this past week; Residents up to date with vaccines…… Continue reading Latest Nursing Home COVID-19 Data

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2450-MC-FFS DATE: May 22, 2023 TO: All Iowa Medicaid Providers APPLIES TO: Managed Care (MC), Fee-for-Service (FFS) FROM: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Iowa Medicaid RE: Public Health Emergency (PHE) Unwind Training for Providers EFFECTIVE: Upon Receipt Iowa Medicaid will…… Continue reading Iowa Medicaid Providers: Public Health Emergency (PHE) Unwind Training for Providers

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the nursing home COVID-19 data for the week ending May 7, 2023. Comparing the May 7, 2023 data to the April 30, 2023 data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate decreased 0.2% this past week; Residents up to date with vaccines…… Continue reading Latest CDC, CMS and NHSN Nursing Home COVID-19 Data

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On May 19, 2023, CMS posted an updated FAQ: CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency document. There are 19 pages of FAQs, answering 43 questions.  No red ink on this document to show what’s different from the previous FAQ.  Because…… Continue reading Frequently Asked Questions: CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the End of the COVID-19 PHE … Updated May 19, 2023

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On May 11, 2023, the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 expired. Some Medicaid services, such as telehealth flexibilities, will not be affected and have been extended through December 31, 2024, as indicated in The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. There are certain Medicare and…… Continue reading Transition Forward: Updated Medicaid Unwinding Resources Now Available

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This updated May 15, 2023 EEOC document is a reminder that while the PHE declaration has expired, we still need to be mindful and compliant with employment laws. It’s also a good reminder that our people – staff and residents – are the most important part…… Continue reading What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act and Other EEO Laws