Tag: #CDC

Reminder of Upcoming Annual HCP Influenza Vaccination Data Reporting Deadline

The deadline for nursing homes to report health care personnel (HCP) influenza vaccination coverage in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Health Safety Network (NHSN) is fast approaching.

This reporting is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for SNF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) and the submission deadline is May 15, 2025. Failure to report complete data in NHSN by 11:59pm on May 15th for the SNF QRP will result in a 2% reduction in the nursing home’s annual Medicare reimbursement rates. 
The reporting period for the 2024-2025 influenza season is from October 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Facilities are only required to submit one report that covers the entire reporting period by May 15, 2025
Facilities are strongly advised not to wait until the deadline to report. Submitters are recommended to take a screen shot of submission verification in the event of a notice of noncompliance. Training materials are available on the NHSN website.
If your facility is having difficulty accessing the NHSN Healthcare Personnel Safety (HPS) Component to submit this data, email NHSN@cdc.gov with “HCP Flu Summary” in the subject line and specify that you are a LTC facility.
Questions on CMS SNF QRP requirements can be sent to SNFQualityQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.
AHCA has several resources available to assist with NHSN reporting, including the NHSN Tip Sheet and
Questions regarding the above resources may be sent to regulatory@ahca.org.

Reminder: ICD-10-CM Coding Updates for April 1, 2025

In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted the updated ICD-10-CM code files to address revisions to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting and other typographical errors. These updates are effective April 1, 2025. There are no new ICD-10-CM codes effective April 1, 2025.
While there are no new codes, there is a significant update to the guidelines for coding COVID-19. The guidelines are a set of rules that have been developed to accompany and complement the official conventions and instructions provided within the ICD-10-CM itself. Adherence to these guidelines when assigning ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes is required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
The following changes are noted in the guidelines for coding confirmed cases of COVID-19, effective April 1, 2025:
  • Code only a confirmed diagnosis of the COVID-19 (U07.1) as documented by the provider (physician or other qualified healthcare practitioner legally accountable for establishing the patient’s diagnosis). The current guidance that documentation of a positive test alone represents a confirmed diagnosis will no longer be in effect beginning April 1.
  • For asymptomatic residents who test positive for COVID-19, query the medical provider as to whether the resident has COVID-19. The guidance notes that false positives are possible, and it is the medical provider’s responsibility to confirm and document a diagnosis.
This will result in a significant change for which residents will have the code U07.1 added to their medical records beginning April 1, 2025. These changes, however, do not impact NHSN reporting at this time. We will continue to monitor for any changes to NHSN reporting in the future and will provide updates if and when appropriate.
Please send any questions to regulatory@ahca.org​.

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Now Available: ICD-10-CM Code Update Files

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) posted the updated ICD-10-CM code files to address revisions to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting and other typographical errors. These updates are effective April 1, 2025. The CDC has announced there are no new ICD-10-CM codes effective April 1, 2025.

While there are no new ICD-10-CM codes, there is a significant update to the guidelines for coding COVID-19. The guidelines are a set of rules that have been developed to accompany and complement the official conventions and instructions provided within the ICD-10-CM itself. Adherence to these guidelines when assigning ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes is required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
The following changes are noted in the guidelines for coding confirmed cases of COVID-19, effective April 1, 2025:
  • Code only a confirmed diagnosis of the COVID-19 (U07.1) as documented by the provider (physician or other qualified health care practitioner legally accountable for establishing the patient’s diagnosis). The current guidance that documentation of a positive test is a confirmed diagnosis will no longer be in effect beginning April 1.
  • For asymptomatic residents who test positive for COVID-19, query the medical provider as to whether or not the resident has COVID-19. The guidance notes that false positives are possible, and it is the medical provider’s responsibility to confirm and document a diagnosis.
This will result in a significant change in which residents will have the code U07.1 added to their medical records beginning April 1, 2025. These changes, however, do not impact NHSN reporting at this time. We will continue to monitor for any changes to NHSN reporting in the future and will provide updates if and when appropriate. Please send any questions to regulatory@ahca.org.

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CDC Releases Nursing Home Communication Toolkit

The CDC recently released a Nursing Home Communication toolkit to help nursing home health care professionals better communicate with residents and families on antibiotic treatment expectations. Pressure from family members to prescribe antibiotics to nursing home residents when they may not be needed has been identified as an opportunity for providers to engage in discussion around appropriate antibiotic use.

The toolkit reviews a four-part communication strategy which has been effective in improving antibiotic prescribing in outpatient settings. Two nursing home-specific scenarios applying these principles are also provided.