Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare This information is for Medicaid Certified Facility Administrators, the Facility CMR Portal Director, and all staff who schedule MDS’ and those who bill for a resident’s stay. Change to the ANNUAL CASE MIX ELECTION FOR RESIDENTS WHO STAY 14 DAYS OR LESS The Annual Case Mix…… Continue reading MN: Change to the Annual Case Mix Election for Residents Who Stay 14 Days or Less

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare As part of the ongoing response to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and to improve health care access and reduce the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a rule, on May 11, 2021, that will ensure long-term…… Continue reading National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call on May 13, 2021

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted an updated QSO-21-17 … Updates to Long-Term Care (LTC) Emergency Regulatory Waivers Issued in Response to COVID-19 on May 10, 2021. I blogged on the original posting of this QSO on April 8, 2021.   May 10, 2021 was the effective end date of those…… Continue reading Verbiage Clarification for QSO-21-17 -> Four Emergency Waivers Ending

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering web-based training that provides an overview of the general and key clinical considerations important for conducting standardized cognitive and mood assessments. This four-course series is designed for providers in the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) setting. The…… Continue reading NEW TRAINING AVAILABLE – Cognitive & Mood Assessment Training Series for SNF Providers

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare “Established by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) in 1967, National Skilled Nursing Care Week® (NSNCW) recognizes the essential role of skilled nursing care centers in caring for America’s frail, elderly, and disabled. The week starts each year on Mother’s Day and is celebrated through the…… Continue reading National Skilled Nursing Home Week: May 9 – 15, 2021

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare “(OIG) found that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS’s) use of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) as the sole data source to count the number of nursing home residents using antipsychotic drugs may not always provide complete information. By analyzing a separate data source—Medicare claims—(OIG)…… Continue reading CMS Could Improve the Data It Uses to Monitor Antipsychotic Drugs in NHs

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Yesterday’s CMS National Stakeholder Call was a good one.  At the end of the call, CMS stated that the recording and transcript of the call would be posted today on their Podcasts and Transcripts webpage, but as of mid-day, it is not found there.  Podcasts and…… Continue reading Information from April 29th, 2021 CMS National NH Stakeholder Call

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On April 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated select infection prevention and control recommendations in the Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC. These updates are for healthcare personnel (HCP) while at work and patients and…… Continue reading National Nursing Home Stakeholder Call – April 29, 2021