UPDATE Weekly

The House of Representatives will pass its version of the 2013-14 budget this week. The budget proposal was published last Sunday night. The House version did not remove the Medicaid rate withhold provision, but did reduce it from 4% to 2%. The House and Senate will appoint a conference committee to work out the differences. Conferees will begin meeting next week. If your Senator or Representative is a member of the Conference Committee you will be asked to contact them in support of our position. We will provide you with brief talking points and contact information for your Legislator. We are disappointed that the General Assembly continues to use provider rate reductions as the way to solve Medicaid shortfalls and at the same time not recognizing the increased costs associated with delivering quality health care. We hope future deliberations will result in a recognition that adequate funding of this vital state program is required in order to continue providing quality services, enable providers to maintain and retain an adequate workforce, and be given a chance to be financially viable.

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Make plans today to join your colleagues for the second annual NCHCFA Summer Symposium, August 6-8, 2013 at the Marriott Grande Dunes Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC. Administrators and registered nurses will be able to earn up to 14.0 hours of continuing education. Brochures will be available this week!

Don’t miss “Medicaid Managed Care – Will North Carolina Be Next?” on Wednesday, August 7th. Many states have placed portions of their Medicaid programs in the hands of Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCO’s). In April, Governor McCrory broadly outlined his plan to reform North Carolina’s Medicaid program. His initiative, “Partnership for a Healthy North Carolina” would create several Comprehensive Care Entities (CCE’s) that would “provide the framework to deliver high quality, patient-oriented care to Medicaid recipients.” Under the plan, CCE’s would be statewide in scope and manage all Medicaid services including skilled nursing care. There is much uncertainty surrounding the merits of turning the administration of the Medicaid program over to private managed companies. Providers are understandably nervous about managed care especially in light of the experiences from some states to date. This session will provide you with an overview of the Governor’s plan, what we have learned from other states, and the possible impact on skilled nursing services in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association would like to thank the 2013 Summer Symposium Hosts for supporting this year’s event:

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Pat Boyer, RN, MSM, NHA of Boyer & Associates will present Essentials for Medicaid & Medicare Using the MDS 3.0! In 2012, CMS implemented changes to the RAI manual that have affected your MDS process and your reimbursement system. This workshop will cover those changes. We will also look closely at internal processes to ensure accurate completion of Change of Therapy assessments. In addition, Pat will review how the RUGs III system will crosswalk to the MDS 3.0 so that facilities can maintain their Medicaid Case Mix reimbursement. It is important to note that this training is not a duplicate of the Myers and Stauffer trainings that were held in April.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how the 2012 changes will affect your MDS system and what is in store for 2013
• Discuss how to monitor therapy services in the new reimbursement environment
• Determine strategies for managing Medicare Reimbursement and the new rules
• Describe strategies for appropriate management of Medicaid Reimbursement using the MDS 3.0
• Describe strategies for appropriate management of Medicare Part A Reimbursement using the MDS 3.0

YOU MAY REGISTER AND PAY ON-LINE! Please visit http://NursingHomesNC.com and click on Essentials for Medicaid & Medicare Using the MDS 3.0!

• June 19th – Sheraton Imperial, Durham, NC
• June 20th – Hilton Charlotte University Place, Charlotte, NC

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On June 7, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the rollout of Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) materials to help nursing homes establish a foundation to support and sustain QAPI. This is the first step in meeting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requirement for CMS to develop a technical assistance program to help nursing homes establish best practices in quality.

You may access the full rollout announcement at http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/Downloads/060713QAPIMaterialsforNursingHomesRollout.pdf. The memo will also direct you to the CMS QAPI Web site where the above QAPI tools and other resources can be found at http://go.cms.gov/Nhqapi.

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With the June 2013 List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) update, OIG has added new information into the Online Exclusions Database and the LEIE Downloadable Databases. The new information is the National Provider Identifier (NPI), a Waiver, and Waiver State. Also, the online search of the LEIE has been redesigned. These changes include:

• From June 2013 through August 2013, OIG will post Downloadable LEIE Files without the new fields and files with the new fields. This will allow users time to work with the new fields while still having access to the files to which they are accustomed. In September 2013, only the file with the new fields will be available.
• OIG strongly recommends that users download the entire LEIE Database with the three new fields during the transition period from June to August 2013. The Monthly Supplement files only contain information about new exclusions or reinstatements that occurred in a single month. It does not – and will not – offer NPI and Waiver information for the thousands of records already in the LEIE. Monthly Supplement files with the new fields will be offered beginning July 2013.
• Starting with the July 2013 Exclusions update, OIG will only archive monthly supplement files for the previous 12 months. Older material will not available on the Web site or via phone call to Exclusions staff. The Monthly Supplement files dated June 2013 or before will not include the National Provider Identifier and Waiver fields.
• OIG has added NPIs to LEIE records starting in 2008 and will include NPIs in LEIE records on a forward-going basis. Please note that not every individual or entity that is excluded has an NPI to add. Therefore, many records will not include information in the NPI field.

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Research supported by FutureCare of North Carolina and piloted in NC Skilled Nursing Facilities identified this novel best practice approach for mouth care. This Webinar will introduce Mouth Care Without a Battle, evidence-based training that combines best practices in oral hygiene with proven techniques to overcome resistance to care among persons with dementia and related conditions. Webinar participants will receive an overview of new evidence on the link between oral health and other health outcomes; information about available oral health assessment tools; new techniques, products and issues in implementing and sustaining quality mouth care; and principles of effective support and supervision by nurse managers and administrators. The $139 registration includes the DVD and a special discount is available for NC providers (use discount code NCHomesWebinar). To register, go to http://www.pioneernetwork.net/Events/Webinars/MouthCare.

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The CMS national partnership to improve the quality of care provided to individuals with dementia living in nursing homes is focused on delivering health care that is person-centered, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary. During this National Provider Call, CMS subject matter experts will discuss the progress that has been made during the implementation of this national partnership, its successes, and next steps. Additional speakers will share some personal success stories from the field. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Target Audience: Consumer and advocacy groups, nursing home providers, surveyor community, prescribers, professional associations, and other interested stakeholders

Registration Information: In order to receive call-in information, you must register for the call on the CMS Upcoming National Provider Calls registration Web site. Registration will close at 12:00 PM on the day of the call or when available space has been filled; no exceptions will be made, so please register early.

Presentation: The presentation for this call will be posted on the FFS National Provider Calls Web page. In addition, a link to the slide presentation will be e-mailed to all registrants on the day of the call. Continuing education credit may be awarded for participation in certain CMS National Provider Calls. Visit the Continuing Education Credit Information Web page to learn more.

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The next CMS Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)/Long Term Care (LTC) Open Door Forum is scheduled for Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 2:00 PM ET. This ODF is intended to cover:

1. Health Insurance Marketplace Outreach Tools
2. New guidance on Dementia Care and Antipsychotic Drug Reduction
3. Nursing Home QAPI Roll Out – Tools and Resources to help nursing homes get started
4. MDS Manual Updates & 3.0 Provider Training
5. ICD-10
6. Open Time for Questions and Answers

To participate, dial (800) 837-1935 and reference Conference ID 78876773.

Encore is an audio recording of this call that can be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 and entering the Conference ID. Encores for ODFs held on Thursdays can be accessed the following Monday. The recording is available for 3 business days.

For ODF schedule updates and E-Mailing List registration, click here.

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Mark your calendar now and plan to attend four value-packed days of learning and networking in Phoenix, AZ, October 6-9, 2013! Choose from over 60 sessions in 11 education tracks ranging from advocacy to finance to person-centered care to quality improvement. Take advantage of terrific networking opportunities, outstanding educational programming, and fabulous entertainment, all in a beautiful location. Visit http://www.AHCAconvention.org for event details and registration information! Early bird discount ends July 19, 2013!

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Based on years of research, this practical guide illustrates the far-reaching benefits of empowered work teams in long-term care organizations and explains in everyday terms how to implement the concept. The authors present a fully-validated model for introducing the empowered work team concept to direct care staff, gaining support from the administration, and supervising the teamwork process over time. Hands-on tools include assessment forms, staff training materials, and step-by-step implementation guidelines. Guidance and troubleshooting tips are provided in the resource’s final chapter. Facility and program administrators, directors of nursing, staff supervisors, and team leaders will find this guidebook an invaluable tool for nurturing a more effective and motivated staff and, as a result, an improved care environment.

Product #8250
AHCA MEMBERS $34.95

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NCHCFA’s most popular educational tool is still available, Mobility and Safe Movement of the Elderly, Improving Your Skills to Prevent Injuries and Reduce Falls, by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FOTA, Dementia Care & Training Specialist. This DVD was developed in conjunction with Wake Allied Health Education Center, Durham Technical Community College and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Office of Information Systems. The content is formatted in separate segments in order to customize the delivery of content to your learning objective. Handouts developed by Teepa accompany each video. To order, contact Jan Williams at janw@nchcfa.org or (919) 782-3827. The price is $35.00 (tax and shipping included).

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You’re never too old to dream.

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/6-inspiring-stories-youre-never-too-old-to-dream

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When the Titanic departed from port, it was documented to have carried approximately 1,000 loaves of bread, 86,000 pounds of meat, 40,000 eggs and 36,000 apples to feed the passengers and crew on the 7 day voyage.

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