UPDATE Weekly

On Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 12:30 PM, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ), will host a special Open Door Forum (ODF) on plans for redesigning the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program in future years. QIOs serve as the keystone of CMS’ national healthcare quality improvement program. QIOs convene providers, practitioners, and patients to build and share knowledge, spread best practices, and achieve wide-scale improvements in patient care, increases in population health, and decreases in health care costs for all Americans. Click here to view more information about QIOs.

During the ODF, CMS will make a brief presentation and provide participants an opportunity to give verbal answers to a number of questions aimed at achieving the goals outlined above.

Discussion materials for this Special ODF will be available by January 22, 2013. Click here to access this page.

To participate on the call, dial (800) 837-1935 and reference Conference ID 90637068.

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Register today for the NCHCFA Annual Convention and Expo, February 10-13, 2013 at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons/Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, Greensboro, NC.  The advanced registration deadline is Friday, January 25th. To obtain an additional brochure visit “Education & Events” on the Member Center of the Association’s Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com.

The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association would like to thank the 2013 Corporate Sponsors for their generous support of the upcoming Annual Convention & Expo. Be sure to visit them on Tuesday, February 12th at the booths listed below:

• UniHealth Home Health – Booth 428
• United Hospice – Booth 430
• United Medical – Booth 426
• United Pharmacy – Booth 431

As part of Package One and Three registrations, plan to attend the Chairman’s Evening Extravaganza – The Envelope Please…A Night at the Academy Awards. NCHCFA is rolling out the red carpet for the 85th Annual Academy Awards. Cheryl Clapp-Coleman and the Board of Directors are issuing you the hottest ticket in town! You will want to look “fabulously chic” as you start your evening on the red carpet. Joan Rivers (well almost), the one and only “fashion police,” will be hosting this year’s event. Remember to dress as your favorite movie character or celebrity from the past or present so you will make her A-list. Great prizes will be awarded for the best dressed male and female celebrities! Don’t forget to smile for the camera. The paparazzi will be waiting as you enter the Kodak Theater!

The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association would also like to thank the 2013 Convention Hosts for their generous support of the upcoming Annual Convention & Expo. Be sure to visit them on Tuesday, February 12th at the booths listed below:

• Healthcare Services Group, Inc. – Booths 528 & 530
• LTC Properties, Inc. – Booth 408
• Legacy Consultant Pharmacy – Booth 330
• Medipack Pharmacy – Booth 420
• Neil Medical Group – Booths 301, 303, 400 & 402
• Poyner Spruill LLP – Booth 331
• Southern Pharmacy Services – Booths 501 & 503

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The US Department of the Treasury is requiring that all federal benefit and non-tax payments be paid electronically effective March 31, 2013. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) held a Webinar earlier this week that discussed how providers can comply with the new regulation in their facilities with their residents. This free, ninety-minute Webinar was recorded and is available for viewing at http://webinars.ahcancal.org/index.php.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand new rules requiring federal benefit payments to be made electronically by March 1, 2013;
2. Learn how the rules will affect NF’s current benefit deposit procedures;
3. Identify the role of financial institutions;
4. Discuss various NF scenarios and understand the actions necessary for compliance; and
5. Know how NF’s can help convert residents’ funds to direct deposit.

Because of the processing that may be required to convert those SNF residents that are now receiving paper checks, it is recommended that all required paperwork be completed no later than January 2013. Changes may also be needed in your admissions policies and procedures. DO NOT DELAY. Additional information on this new requirement can be found at http://www.godirect.org.

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Capitol Connection is published weekly by the American Health Care Association. The current issue includes the following articles:

• HHS Releases Final Privacy/Security Rules
• HHS Proposes Reinsurance Fee Rule
• CMS to Hold National Provider Call on Improving Dementia Care in Nursing Homes
• Affordable Care Act Webinar: What Are Your Responsibilities?

To access the latest issue, as well as past issues, click here.

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Recently the NCTracks December / January 2013 Connections Newsletter was posted to the Office of Medicaid Management Information System Services (OMMISS) Web site. This publication can be accessed by visiting http://ncmmis.ncdhhs.gov/communication.asp.

Providers are encouraged to review this information as it is meant to educate, inform and prepare you for the changes that can be expected with the transition from legacy DHHS systems to NCTracks. Between now and the July 2013 implementation date, additional information will be provided on system functionality and features, training opportunities, changes to the enrollment process and much more.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact OMMISS provider relations at OMMISS.providerrelations@dhhs.nc.gov.

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Join this AHCA Webinar on February 19, 2013 at 2:00 PM. Over the past four years, Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been very active particularly in the enforcement arena. By virtually every metric, OSHA enforcement is at historic levels. Long term care providers have been a major focus of the agency’s enforcement efforts, with OSHA’s Nursing Home National Emphasis Program leading OSHA compliance officers into homes and centers across the country.

As we enter the second four years of OSHA under President Obama, what should the long term care industry expect? Will OSHA continue to target the industry in its enforcement efforts? What new regulatory and other policy initiatives should long term care employers prepare for?

This 60-minute Webinar will review the last four years and look ahead to the next four, with a specific focus on the long term care industry and how AHCA members can prepare for what’s next at OSHA. To register for the Webinar, click here.

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Please join the American Health Care Association for a free Webinar on January 29, 2013, 2:00 PM ET, to understand better the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements for employer compliance. The Webinar will discuss new information and focus particularly on the March 2013 deadline for communicating available coverage options to employees and the “next steps” for employers who are evaluating what staff is either full- or part-time employees. To learn more and register for the Webinar go to http://webinars.ahcancal.org/session.php?id=10245.

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Paying for dental care and services is problematic for the elderly, blind and disabled. The Webinar will address issues with obtaining and paying for dental care for the Medicaid population. This session will address how nursing facility residents enrolled in Medicaid can pay for non-covered dental services through the use of Incurred Medical Expense (IME) and explain how it works in the long term care setting.

The Webinar will take place Thursday, January 30, 2013 from 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM EST. For more information and registration instructions, click here.

PLEASE NOTE: Prior to running this article, NCHCFA asked the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) about the policy on IME. According to DMA, LTC recipients or their representatives should provide documentation of any medical expenses that are not covered by Medicaid or other insurance to the caseworker at the county DSS. The caseworker will evaluate whether the patient monthly liability (PML) may be decreased for one or more months to account for the expense. These expenses can include medical insurance premiums or other expenses not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, etc. There may be some expenses that might not qualify, but they need to be reported for the evaluation. The recipient or representative should report these expenses as quickly as possible.

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Train your entire staff on the importance of fire safety with this comprehensive training program. The instructor manual provides objectives, activities, and a list of required equipment and procedures. The included videos, Flashover: Point of No Return and Human Behavior in Fires, reinforce your lessons by demonstrating fire containment and emergency procedures and by examining how people react to a fire emergency.

Product #6732
AHCA MEMBERS $55.95

AHCA/NCAL is in the final stages of updating their online store. The new website will be up and running by mid-January. You can still place orders by calling (800) 321-0343.

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Does your facility need an extra copy of the NCHCFA Directory around the office? This informative guide lists the NCHCFA Board of Directors, member facilities (by facility, administrator and district), staff contacts, and the NCHCFA trade members. Contact Jan Williams at janw@nchcfa.org to order one for your facility.

NCHCFA Members: $35.00 plus tax and shipping (for Members only)

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Hilda Rankin was about 83 when she began volunteering at a nursing home to talk with the lonelier residents. Some residents were unable to feed themselves and she wanted to help. But as a volunteer, she wasn’t allowed to. So she enrolled in classes to train as a state-certified nurse assistant.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/obituaries/hilda-rankin-worked-at-nursing-home-until-she-was-over/article_8fc9aa5f-7b73-50c1-816b-21aced2ddaf0.html

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Coffee loses caffeine as it is roasted, so a dark cup, “bold” cup of coffee actually has less caffeine than a lighter roast.

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