UPDATE Weekly

As our members are aware, starting October 1, 2018, all Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Medicare Part A rates will be cut by 2 percent to fund an incentive payment pool. At that time, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will adjust payments and return some amount to providers based on how well they do in managing hospital readmissions by meeting or exceeding performance standards. This CMS effort, the SNF Value Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, links financial outcomes to quality performance.

Providers may think they don’t have to focus on the SNF VBP program yet as it does not affect payment until 2018. But CMS is currently collecting rehospitalization data that will be used to determine how much facilities earn back.

This week we are featuring Sharing Advanced INTERACT Success, part four of a 10-part resource series designed by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) to support members in reducing rehospitalizations.

In this informative session, participants will have the opportunity to hear how four different organizations advanced the use of INTERACT within their setting. INTERACT has played a key role in helping many organizations reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. Ideas on how to use these tools, how to spread them throughout the organization, how to get buy-in, and the fabulous results of these determined leaders will be some of the stories you will hear. You will hear how a community worked together to develop INTERACT with their local hospital. This impressive story shares how a combined group of nursing facilities worked together on implementation despite being competitors.

Check out this resource here to learn more.

For more information about the SNF VBP program and to access additional resources and tools, visit the AHCA SNF VBP Web site here. Take action today.

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Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule [CMS-1679-F] for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Medicare payment rates and quality program provisions for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). FY 2018 starts on October 1, 2017.

The final rule for FY 2018 establishes a net market basket increase of 1.0 percent. CMS also revised and rebased the market basket index by updating the base year from FY 2010 to FY 2014. Based on proposed changes contained within this proposed rule, CMS projects aggregate payments to SNFs will increase in FY 2018 by $370 million, from payments in FY 2017.

Specifically, for FY 2018, the update is a result of last year’s “permanent doc fix”, which required all post-acute care (PAC) providers to receive a maximum market basket update of 1.0 percent in FY 2018 to offset part of the cost of the bill. The FY 2018 update would have otherwise been a net increase of 2.3 percent, which reflects an increase of 2.6 percent minus a 0.4 percent multifactor productivity adjustment as required by Section 3401(b) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Additionally, CMS proposed to revise and rebase the market basket base year from federal fiscal year 2010 to 2014. CMS updates the market basket base year every three to five years. The last rebase year was 2014. Of note, CMS finalized its proposal to transition from a federal fiscal base year to calendar base year 2014. Additionally, CMS finalized its proposal to take a more granular approach to developing the cost category weights for the 2014-based SNF market basket.

CMS specified several elements of the SNF Value-based Purchasing (VBP) program, including a formula to translate SNF performance into incentive payments as well as how and when the Agency intends to publish SNF performance for the public.

Please find here a highlights section and preliminary overview of the payment updates, the SNF Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program new components, and the IMPACT Act quality reporting additions.

To view the FY18 Final Rule click here, the fact sheet is available here, and the FY18 SNF PPS wage index is posted here.

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The next CMS Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)/Long Term Care (LTC) Open Door Forum is scheduled for Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 2:00-3:00 PM ET. The planned agenda includes:

I. Opening Remarks
II. Announcements & Updates

• FY 2018 SNF PPS Final Rule
• General Update
• Value Based Purchasing
• Quality Reporting Program
• PBJ Update
• For questions related to software or technical requirements, please e-mail NursingHomePBJTechIssues@cms.hhs.gov
• For questions related to PBJ policies, please e-mail NHstaffing@cms.hhs.gov
• PBJ Website link: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Staffing-Data-Submission-PBJ.html
• Reminder of SNF No Pay Claim Billing Requirements

III. Open Q&A

To participate by phone, dial (800) 837-1935 and reference conference ID 60539414.

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, visit http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare cards to help fight identity theft and safeguard taxpayer dollars. In previous messages, it was announced that you must be ready by April 2018 for the change from the Social Security Number based Health Insurance Claim Number to the randomly generated Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (the new Medicare number). Up to now, this work was referred to as the Social Security Number Removal Initiative (SSNRI). Moving forward, it will be referred to as the New Medicare Card.

To help you find information quickly, CMS designed a new homepage linking you to the latest details, including how to talk to your Medicare patients about the New Medicare Card. Bookmark the New Medicare Card homepage and Provider Web page, and visit often, so you have the information you need to be ready by April 1, 2018.

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The Medicaid Bulletin is published monthly by the Division of Medical Assistance. Each month, it has informative articles with important information to the provider community. The August 2017 issue includes articles on NCTracks provider trainings, facility change of ownership, re-credentialing and others that may be of value to your facility. To access this issue, as well as other 2017 issues, click here.

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There is still time to register for the 6th Annual Summer Symposium, August 9-11, 2017 at the Embassy Suites Resort at Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, SC for the most up to date information affecting long term care.

NCHCFA’s registration desk will open at 11:30 AM on Wednesday, August 9th and will remain open until 5:30 PM. Registration will be located in the lobby beside the hotel registration desk. The first session will begin at 1:00 PM and will be located in Kensington DEF.

What do I wear? Dress for the Summer Symposium is business casual. Do not forget to bring a sweater if you are cold natured. Room temperatures are very difficult to control in such a large setting!

Weather Forecast for the Myrtle Beach Area:

We are looking forward to a great week!

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The North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association would like to thank our 2017 Summer Symposium Corporate Sponsors for supporting the upcoming sixth annual Summer Symposium in Myrtle Beach, SC: Equinox Ventures Group, Healthcare Services Group, PruittHealth, QMX Mobile Health, and Southern Pharmacy. We appreciate your support!

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NCHCFA has partnered with nationally recognized speaker Cara Silletto, and her company Crescendo Strategies, to offer you a new online course. Are you having trouble retaining young workers? Do you find it hard to understand Millennials? If you missed our Full Day Workforce Summit, this 90-minute, self-paced online course shows leaders a Millennial speaker’s first-hand stories about the real generational issues on the T.A.B.L.E. (technology, authority, balance, loyalty, entitlement). Course participants will learn critical insights about all of today’s workers in order to bridge the widening generational gaps and reduce unnecessary employee turnover.

How companies use this online course:

• Consistent training across multiple locations
• Catch-up session for those who missed it live
• New supervisor and manager orientation
• Prep for strategic planning or leadership retreats
• Deep-dive diversity training beyond the basics
• Continuing education credits (1.5 NAB-approved credits)

NCHCFA is pleased to offer member discounts! Click here for more information and promotional codes. Click here to start the course (remember to enter your promo code).

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The 2017-2018 Nursing Home Salary and Benefits Report, published by Hospital and Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) in cooperation with AHCA has just been released. The 300-page national report is available at the reduced rate of $275 for AHCA members. Click here to view the press release, highlighting results from the study.

To order on-line, visit the HCS Web site at http://www.hhcsinc.com or call (201) 405-0075.

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For decades, horizontal hostility has been known to play a pivotal role in increasing nursing attrition rates. Team-Building Handbook: Improving Nurse-to-Nurse Relationships offers healthcare organizations a proactive approach to creating a healthy workplace for nursing staff. This small guide provides the core tools they need to build strong teams and avoid the unnecessary expense of finding, hiring, and training new nurses to replace burned-out staff.

This handbook can be used as part of healthcare orientation and precepting programs, as well as for in-services and self-study. Nurses will gain the skills they need to build cohesive teams and combat negativity if it arises in the workplace.

To order, visit http://www.AHCApublications.org or call (800) 321-0343. Fax orders may also be placed at (800) 869-5605.

Product #8375
AHCA MEMBERS $100.00

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If you were unable to attend one of our sessions on “Updated Regulations” with Cindy DePorter, the notebook used in the training is now available for purchase. E-mail Donna Snyder to order a notebook for your facility at donnas@nchcfa.org. The cost is $25.00 plus tax and shipping.

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Golden Circles, Millennials – And How To Lead

http://the1a.org/shows/2017-08-01/golden-circles-millennials-and-how-to-lead

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Being present in 1/3 of all adult humans, the fear of snakes (ophiophobia or herpetophobia) is one of the most common phobias worldwide, which suggests that humans have an innate, evolutionary fear of snakes.

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