Category: CMS Memo

CMS Memo: QSO-20-17-ALL: Guidance for use of Certain Industrial Respirators by Health Care Personnel

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Guidance for use of Certain Industrial Respirators by Health Care Personnel

  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s health care facilities are prepared to respond to the threat of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other respiratory illnesses.
  • The memo clarifies the application of CMS policies in light of recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance expanding the types of facemasks healthcare workers may use in situations involving COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.

Please see the memo for further details.

 

For additional information, please visit the Department’s website at health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/. This site also contains a link specific to long-term care communities.

CMS Memo: QSO-20-14-NHL: Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nursing homes (REVISED)

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Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nursing homes (REVISED)

  • CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s health care facilities and clinical laboratories are prepared to respond to the threat of the COVID-19.
  • Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of COVID-19 – CMS is providing additional guidance to nursing homes to help them improve their infection control and prevention practices to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, including revised guidance for visitation.
  • Coordination with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local public health departments – We encourage all nursing homes to monitor the CDC website for information and resources and contact their local health department when needed (CDC Resources for Health Care Facilities: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/healthcare-facilities/index.html) .
  • Following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) expanding the use of certain industrial respirators to health care personnel, CMS is clarifying that such use is appropriate in Medicare/Medicaid certified providers and suppliers.

 Please see the memo for further details.

For additional information, please visit the Department’s website at https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/.

CMS Memo: QSO-20-11-NH

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Release of Additional Toolkits to Ensure Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing the release of two toolkits that align with the CMS strategic initiative to Ensure Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes.

  • Developing a Restful Environment Action Manual (DREAM) Toolkit – CMS has created a toolkit that offers education and person-centered, practical interventions that nursing home administrators, directors of nursing, and bedside staff can implement to promote high-quality sleep for residents living with dementia.
  • Head-to-Toe Infection Prevention (H2T) Toolkit – CMS has created a toolkit that offers educational materials and practical interventions for bedside staff designed to prevent common infections by improving activities of daily living (ADL) care.

Please see the full memo download at www.cms.gov/httpswwwcmsgovmedicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and/release-additional-toolkits-ensure-safety-and-quality-nursing-homes.

CMS Memo: QSO-20-09-ALL

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Information for Healthcare Facilities Concerning 2019 Novel Coronavirus Illness (2019-nCoV)

  • Information Regarding Patients with Possible Coronavirus Illness: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued information on the respiratory illness caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Links to these documents are provided.
  • Healthcare Facility Expectations: CMS strongly urges the review of CDC’s guidance and encourages facilities to review their own infection prevention and control policies and practices to prevent the spread of infection.

Please see the full memo download at www.cms.gov/medicareprovider-enrollment-and-certificationsurveycertificationgeninfopolicy-and-memos-states-and/information-healthcare-facilities-concerning-2019-novel-coronavirus-illness-2019-ncov.

Questions about this memorandum should be addressed to QSOG_EmergencyPrep@cms.hhs.gov.

Questions about the 2019-nCoV guidance/screening criteria should be addressed to the State Epidemiologist or other responsible state or local public health officials in your state.

CMS Memos Released

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CMS Memo: QSO-20-01-NH: Consumer Alerts added to the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Quality Rating System

Memorandum Summary

  • Abuse Indicator – CMS is updating the Nursing Home Compare website to make it easier for consumers to identify facilities with instances of non-compliance related to abuse.
  • Consumer Alert for Oregon Nursing Homes – CMS will be adding a consumer alert on the Nursing Home Compare website for all Oregon facilities indicating that incidents of abuse may not be reflected on the Nursing Home Compare This action is in response to a recommendation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

 

CMS Memo: QSO-20-02-NH: Updates to the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Quality Rating System

Memorandum Summary

  • CMS is removing the quality measures related to residents’ reported experience with pain from the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Rating System.
  • We are also advising providers we will be updating the thresholds for quality measure ratings, according to the plan introduced in CMS Memorandum QSO-19-08-NH, in which the thresholds will be updated every six months. The first update will take place April 2020.
  • We are listing the dates the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Rating System will be updated over the next few months.

 

In addition, the Technical User Guide has also been updated on the following website: www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/FSQRS.html.

CMS Memo: QSO-19-10-NH

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Specialized Infection Prevention and Control Training for Nursing Home Staff in the Long-Term Care Setting is Now Available

  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborated on the development of a free on-line training course in infection prevention and control for nursing home staff in the long-term care setting.
  • The training provides approximately 19 hours of continuing education credits as well as a certificate of completion.
  • The “Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course” is located on CDC’s TRAIN website (www.train.org/cdctrain/training_plan/3814).
  • This memo supersedes memo Quality, Safety & Oversight policy memorandum QSO 18-15-NH.

Please see the memo for further details.

CMS Memo: QSO-19-08-NH

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April 2019 Improvements to Nursing Home Compare include:

  • Ending the Freeze on Health Inspection Star Ratings – In April 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will end the freeze on the health inspection domain of the Five Star Quality Rating System. We will resume the traditional method of calculating health inspection scores by using three cycles of inspections. Inspections occurring on or after November 28, 2017, will be included in each facility’s star rating.
  • Quality Measure (QM) Domain Improvements – CMS is introducing separate ratings for short- and long-stay measures to reflect the level of quality provided for these two subpopulations in nursing homes. We are also revising the thresholds for ratings, adding a system for regular updates to thresholds every six months, and weighting and scoring individual QMs differently. Additionally, we are adding the long-stay hospitalization measure and a measure of long-stay emergency department (ED) transfers to the rating system. Two measures from the Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program (QRP) will be adopted to replace duplicative existing measures.
  • Staffing Domain Improvements – CMS is adjusting the thresholds for staffing ratings. Also, the threshold for the ‘number of days without a registered nurse (RN) onsite’ that triggers an automatic downgrade to one star will be reduced from seven to four days.

Please see the memo for further details.

CMS Memo: QSO-18-24-ESRD: Survey Process for Reviewing Home Dialysis Services in a Long Term Care (LTC) Facility

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CMS Memo: QSO-18-24-ESRD: Survey Process for Reviewing Home Dialysis Services in a Long Term Care (LTC) Facility

  • Dialysis Services in a LTC Facility: Medicare participating End Stage Renal Disease(ESRD) facilities must comply with the Conditions for Coverage at 42 CFR Part 494.Under this provision, Medicare-approved ESRD facilities may provide dialysis services to LTC residents in a LTC facility with an approved Home Training and Support modality. ESRD facilities that provide home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis services to LTC residents must maintain compliance with these requirements, including the requirements set forth at §494.100: Care at home.
  • Survey Process for Evaluation of Home Dialysis in a LTC Facility: The ESRD Core Survey Process has been updated to include additional survey activities which address dialysis services provided by an ESRD facility to residents in a LTC facility.
  • Attachments: Included as an attachment to this memorandum is Exhibit IV: Survey Process for ESRD Surveyors Reviewing Dialysis in Nursing Homes for evaluation of home dialysis services provided in a LTC facility.

For more information, please see the full memo at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/QSO18-24-ESRD.html.

CMS Memo: QSO-17-30- Hospitals/CAHs/NHs

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QSO-17-30- Hospitals/CAHs/NHs: Requirement to Reduce Legionella Risk in Healthcare Facility Water Systems to Prevent Cases and Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease (LD)

  • Legionella Infections: The bacterium Legionella can cause a serious type of pneumonia called LD in persons at risk. Those at risk include persons who are at least 50 years old, smokers, or those with underlying medical conditions such as chronic lung disease or immunosuppression. Outbreaks have been linked to poorly maintained water systems in buildings with large or complex water systems including hospitals and long-term care facilities. Transmission can occur via aerosols from devices such as showerheads, cooling towers, hot tubs, and decorative fountains.
  • Facility Requirements to Prevent Legionella Infections: Facilities must develop and adhere to policies and procedures that inhibit microbial growth in building water systems that reduce the risk of growth and spread of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in water.
  • This policy memorandum applies to Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Long-Term Care (LTC).  However, this policy memorandum is also intended to provide general awareness for all healthcare organizations.
  • This policy memorandum clarifies expectations for providers, accrediting organizations, and surveyors and does not impose any new expectations nor requirements for hospitals, CAHs and surveyors of hospitals and CAHs. For these provider types, the memorandum is merely clarifying already existent expectations.
  • This policy memorandum supersedes the previous Survey & Certification (S&C) 17-30 released on June 02, 2017 and the subsequent revisions issued on June 9, 2017.

Please see the memo for more details.

CMS Memo: QSO 18-17-NH

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CMS Memo: QSO 18-17-NH: Transition to Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Staffing Measures on the Nursing Home Compare tool on Medicare.gov and the Five Star Quality Rating System

  • Transition to Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Data – Starting in April 2018, CMS will use PBJ data to determine each facility’s staffing measure on the Nursing Home Compare tool on Medicare.gov website, and calculate the staffing rating used in the Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System.
  • Staffing data audits – We are providing lessons-learned from audits conducted, and guidance to facilities for improving their accuracy. Nursing homes whose audit identifies significant inaccuracies between the hours reported and the hours verified, or facilities who fail to submit any data by the required deadline will be presumed to have low levels of staff. This will result in a one-star rating in the staffing domain, which will drop their overall (composite) star rating by one star for a quarter.
  • Requirement for registered nurse (RN) staffing – We are reminding nursing homes of the importance of RN staffing and the requirement to have an RN onsite 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. Nursing homes reporting 7 or more days in a quarter with no RN hours will receive a one-star rating in the staffing domain, which will drop their overall (composite) star rating by one star for a quarter. This action will be implemented in July 2018, after the May 15, 2018 submission deadline for data for 2018 Calendar Quarter 1, 2018 (January – March 2018) data.
  • Technical assistance – CMS is continuing its efforts to help nursing homes submit accurate data, and there are a variety of ways described below in which facilities can seek support.
  • Future Actions – As of June 1, 2018, we will no longer collect facility staffing data through the CMS-671 form, and we will announce other future activities.

More information regarding this memo is available at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/QSO18-17-NH.pdf.

CMS Memo: S&C 18-04-NH: Temporary Enforcement Delays for Certain Phase 2 F-Tags and Changes to Nursing Home Compare

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CMS Memo: S&C 18-04-NH: Temporary Enforcement Delays for Certain Phase 2 F-Tags and Changes to Nursing Home Compare

  • Temporary moratorium on imposing certain enforcement remedies for specific Phase 2 requirements: CMS will provide an 18 month moratorium on the imposition of certain enforcement remedies for specific Phase 2 requirements. This 18 month period will be used to educate facilities about specific new Phase 2 standards.
  • Freeze Health Inspection Star Ratings: Following the implementation of the new LTC survey process on November 28, 2017, CMS will hold constant the current health inspection star ratings on the Nursing Home Compare (NHC) website for any surveys occurring between November 28, 2017 and November 27, 2018.
  • Availability of Survey Findings: The survey findings of facilities surveyed under the new LTC survey process will be published on NHC, but will not be incorporated into calculations for the Five-Star Quality Rating System for 12 months. CMS will add indicators to NHC that summarize survey findings.
  • Methodological Changes and Changes in Nursing Home Compare: In early 2018, NHC health inspection star ratings will be based on the two most recent cycles of findings for standard health inspection surveys and the two most recent years of complaint inspections.

Please see the full memo and details at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-18-04.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

Clarification – Notice Before Transfer or Discharge Requirements

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Notice Before Transfer or Discharge Requirements:

CMS clarification of 42 CFR §483.15(c)(3)(i) which requires facilities to send a copy of the notice of transfer or discharge to the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Downloads/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-27.pdf.

S&C Memo: 17-43-ALL: Quality and Certification Oversight Reports (QCOR) Website Launch

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S&C Memo: 17-43-ALL: Quality and Certification Oversight Reports (QCOR) Website Launch

New Website Platform and Data System: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing information related to the new QCOR website in an overarching initiative for increased transparency.

Please see the full memo at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-43.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=2&DLSortDir=descending.

S&C Memo: 17-25-NH: Electronic Staffing Submission – Payroll-Based Journal Update

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S&C Memo: 17-25-NH: Electronic Staffing Submission – Payroll-Based Journal Update

Memorandum Summary

  • Mandatory staffing data submission through the Payroll-Based Journal began July 1, 2016. Providers are reminded that they have until the 45th day after the end of each quarter to submit data.
  • To help providers improve their submissions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing feedback on each facility’s data through their monthly Provider Preview reports.
  • The Nursing Home Compare website now reflects whether providers have submitted data by the required deadline. Additionally, providers that have not submitted any data for two consecutive deadlines will have their overall and staffing star ratings suppressed.
  • We are updating the data submission requirements related to hire and termination dates, and converting three job codes as optional for submission.

Please see the memo attached for more details or visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-25.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

S&C 17-22-ALL: Save the Date- Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Conference Call National Provider Call (NPC) for Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare & Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers Final Rule

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S&C 17-22-ALL: Save the Date- Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Conference Call National Provider Call (NPC) for Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare & Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers Final Rule

  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) MLN will host a NPC for the Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare & Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers Final Rule.
  • The calls are open to providers, suppliers, State Survey Agencies (SAs), Regional Offices (ROs) and the general public.
  • CMS has received multiple requests by providers, suppliers, States and associations to present at annual conferences regarding the new final rule for Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare & Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers. Due to the large number of speaking requests, CMS is offering an additional learning session through the MLN. During the additional session, we will provide an overview of the final rule and discuss the requirements for meeting the training and testing requirements by the implementation date of November 15, 2016.

Date: Thursday, April 27, 2017

Time: 2:30pm-3:30pm ET

Topic: Review of provisions and focus on Training and Testing Requirements

 

Please see the attached memo or you may visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-22.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

S&C 17-21-ALL: Information to Assist Providers and Suppliers in Meeting the New Training and Testing Requirements of the Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare & Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers Final Rule

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S&C 17-21-ALL: Information to Assist Providers and Suppliers in Meeting the New Training and Testing Requirements of the Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare & Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers Final Rule

  • Information for Implementation: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing information to assist providers and suppliers in meeting the Training and Testing requirements of the new Emergency Preparedness Final Rule that was published on September 16, 2016 (81 FR 63860) and became effective on  November 15, 2016.

 

Please see the S&C attached or you may visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-21.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

 

S&C Memo 17-20-NH: Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program Update

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S&C Memo 17-20-NH: Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program Update

  • Total SFF slots and candidates for each State: The number of designated slots and candidates for FY 2017 (see Appendix A) will not change from those effective since May 1, 2014.
  • Initial selection notice: The State Survey Agency (SA) must notify the provider in writing of their SFF selection and conduct a meeting (either onsite or via telephone) with the nursing home’s accountable parties, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Office (RO), if the RO wants to be included.
  • Graduation from the SFF program: Once an SFF has completed two consecutive standard surveys with no deficiencies cited at a scope and severity of “F” or greater (or “G” or greater for Life Safety Code (LSC) deficiencies), and has had no complaint surveys with deficiencies at “F” or greater (or “G” or greater for Life Safety Code (LSC) deficiencies) in between those two standard surveys, the facility will graduate from the SFF program. However, if the only deficiency preventing graduation is an “F” level deficiency for food safety requirements (42 CFR §483.60(i) Tag F371), the RO has discretion to allow the facility to graduate from the SFF program. F371 deficiencies at a “G” level or greater will prevent the facility from graduating from the SFF program.
  • Authority for termination: Consistent with longstanding authority, the CMS ROs may use discretionary termination for SFFs (or any facility) if necessary to protect resident health and safety.

 

Please see the S&C memo and appendices attached for more details or visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-20.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

CMS Direction Regarding IDR’s

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CMS Direction Regarding IDR’s

The Section for Long Term Care had a conversation with CMS in 2016 regarding the IDR/IIDR Review Release Process. CMS Regions V and VII recently provided guidance on this topic. The Missouri IDR process for certified homes has been to send the Primaris decision letter along with our own letter upon review and completion of the IDR process. We have been instructed by CMS that the third party (Primaris) decision and rationale can no longer be shared with the providers. Following is an excerpt of this guidance. The S&C referenced below is attached for your review.

 

S&C Memo 12-08-NH provided Interim Advance Guidance for IIDRs and provided some information that is one of the bases for our decision to take this approach: “[T]he documents and written report created by the Independent IDR entity, the State and CMS, other than the final decision of the Independent IDR process, are pre-decisional and deliberative, and therefore are protected from disclosure under the deliberative process privilege. See EPA v. Mink, 410 U.S. 73, 88 (1973); see also 5 U.S.C. § 522(b)(5) (inter-agency and intra-agency memoranda and letters generated before adoption of final agency policy or decision are protected from disclosure under Exemption 5 of the Freedom of Information Act).” (Please note the correct U.S. Code citation is actually 5 U.S.C § 552(b)(5).) Therefore, CMS asserts this privilege to not disclose documents used in our deliberative processes. Although the quoted language from the S&C Memo is not in SOM Chapter 7, the rationale remains sound.

 

We have communicated with the IDR Contractor about this change. Primaris will no longer prepare a letter to the provider and will simply provide their decision and rationale through memo format. Our office will continue to review the Primaris information and prepare a letter to the providers with the final decision.  The Section will then forward the SLCR Decision letter to the provider. At no time can we disclose the Primaris decision and rationale. This change applies only to certified facilities. The process will not change for those facilities that are state-licensed only.

S&C: 17-17-ALL: Recommendations to Providers Regarding Cyber Security

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S&C: 17-17-ALL: Recommendations to Providers Regarding Cyber Security

Recommendations for Providers and Suppliers for Cyber Security: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding providers and suppliers to keep current with best practices regarding mitigation of cyber security attacks. We have outlined resources to assist facilities in their reviews of their cyber security and IT programs.

 

Please see the attached for more information.  The S&C can also be found at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-17.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

S&C: 17-12-NH: Long-Term Care (LTC) Regulation: Enforcement of Rule Prohibiting Use of Pre-Dispute Binding Arbitration Agreements is Suspended so Long as Court Ordered Injunction Remains in Effect

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S&C: 17-12-NH:  Long-Term Care (LTC) Regulation: Enforcement of Rule Prohibiting Use of Pre-Dispute Binding Arbitration Agreements is Suspended so Long as Court Ordered Injunction Remains in Effect

  • Enforcement Suspended Until and Unless Injunction is Lifted: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not enforce the new rule prohibiting skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities and dually-certified facilities from using pre-dispute binding arbitration agreements while there

Please see the S & C attached or you may view it online at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-12.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=2&DLSortDir=descending.

S&C 17-09-ALL: Infection Control Pilot: 2017 Update

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S&C 17-09-ALL:  Infection Control Pilot: 2017 Update

Project Overview:  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is in the second year of a three year pilot project to improve assessment of infection control and prevention regulations in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities, hospitals, and during transitions of care.  All surveys during the pilot will be educational surveys (no citations will be issued) and will be conducted by a national contractor.

 

Second Year Activities: Using draft surveyor Infection Control Worksheets (ICWS) based on the new Long Term Care regulation as well as a revised hospital surveyor ICWS, 40 hospital surveys will be paired with surveys of LTC facilities, in order to provide an opportunity to assess infection prevention during transitions of care. In addition, CMS will pilot technical assistance opportunities for facilities in efforts to improve their infection control programs to meet these new regulations. The draft ICWSs are attached to provide transparency of CMS pilot expectations.

 

Please see the S&C including all documents below or view it online at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-09.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=1&DLSortDir=descending.

sc17-09-01-infection-control-pilot-2017
sc17-09-02-pilot-study-ltc-infection-control-worksheet
sc17-09-03-pilot-study-hospital-infection-control-worksheet

S&C 17-08-NH: Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Reinvestment Resource Web Page

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S&C 17-08-NH: Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Reinvestment Resource Web Page

A web page to house general information on the reinvestment of State CMP funds is now available at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/LTC-CMP-Reinvestment.html. This web page serves as a location to house pertinent information for entities interested in applying for State CMP funds, States and Regional Offices (ROs), and other stakeholders.

CMS S&C Memo 17-05-ALL: Information on the Implementation Plans for the Emergency Preparedness Regulation

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CMS S&C Memo 17-05-ALL:  Information on the Implementation Plans for the Emergency Preparedness Regulation

  • Information for Implementation: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Survey and Certification Group is providing general information regarding the implementation plans for the new Emergency Preparedness Rule.  The information addresses the implementation date for providers and suppliers, the development of Interpretive Guidelines (IGs), surveyor training and resources available to assist in the implementation of this regulation.
  • Affects all 17 providers and suppliers: The regulation affects all 17 providers and suppliers and must be fully implemented by November 15, 2017.

The CMS memo is here or you may visit www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-05.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=2&DLSortDir=descending.

CMS S&C Memo 17-03-NH: Save the Date: Training for Phase 1 Implementation of New Nursing Home Regulations

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CMS S&C Memo 17-03-NH:  Save the Date: Training for Phase 1 Implementation of New Nursing Home Regulations

  • Need for Training: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing an online training for Regional Offices (RO), State Survey Agencies (SA), providers and other stakeholders on the new Nursing Home Regulations.
  • Training Content and Availability: The online training will include information about Phase 1 of new Nursing Home Regulations, and will be available to all parties starting November 18, 2016.
  • Mandatory Requirement: All Long Term Care (LTC) surveyors are required to complete this training in order to be able to conduct any LTC surveys after November 28, 2016.

The CMS memo is attached or you may visit www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/Policy-and-Memos-to-States-and-Regions-Items/Survey-and-Cert-Letter-17-03.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLFilter=nh&DLSort=2&DLSortDir=descending.