- Will Medicare Part A cover asymptomatic beneficiaries that have a positive COVID-19 test result or have received the COVID-19 vaccine and have had a reaction?
- Various waiver-related coverage and billing scenarios.
Category: COVID-19
Information to arm you against vaccine hesitancy among older adults
As the COVID-19 vaccine continues to roll out to assisted living and independent living communities — having not reached some of those communities yet — two new surveys shed some light on feelings about vaccination among older adults, messages that motivate them to get vaccinated, and the people and places to which they expect to turn when making a decision.
Although this research was not restricted to senior living residents, findings still may prove helpful to those working in the industry, and those they serve.
Find out more at https://bit.ly/3oLQAaS
Get Vaccinated Toolkit
AHCA/NCAL’s #GetVaccinated campaign encourages long term care staff and residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Providers and state affiliates may use the materials below to help communicate about the importance of vaccination as well as highlight progress. This digital toolkit includes a checklist of ideas, template letters to use with stakeholders, sample social media, and media prep material.
Find out more at https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Pages/GetVaccinated.aspx
CMS Issues New Nursing Facility COVID Testing FAQs
CMS has released FAQs related to new guidance on testing in nursing facilities. The FAQs address long-standing questions posed from providers. The questions address various issues including false negatives with point of care antigen tests, triggering of outbreak status, testing of emergency medical personnel and clarification on turnaround time for tests. The FAQs can be found here
Trio of Webinars to Address Vital COVID Labor, Staffing, and Flu Issues
Long term and post-acute care providers can access a series of webinars this week on significant issues tied to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the traditional flu season, according to an update from the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).
Find out more by going to http://www.providermagazine.com/news/Pages/2020/SEPTEMBER/Trio-of-Webinars-to-Address-Vital-COVID-Labor,-Staffing,-and-Flu-Issues-.aspx
Preparations for the Upcoming Flu Season
FAQs: Nursing Home Testing Requirements
Frequently asked questions and quick links to COVID-19 testing requirements for nursing homes brought to you by AHCA/NCAL.
Targeted COVID-19 Training for Nursing Homes.
Nursing home providers can now participate in an “unprecedented” infection control training program designed to help them better manage COVID-19 in their facilities.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released details about the program Tuesday. The program was originally announced in late July as part of an additional $5 billion in coronavirus relief funding for nursing homes.
The program, which is available immediately to all Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, is a tailored course that incorporates the most recent lessons learned by nursing homes during the ongoing pandemic. It also features best practices that frontline workers can implement to fight COVID-19 in their facilities, CMS Administrator Seema Verma explained during a press call Tuesday.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3llaby5
For more information or to register https://qsep.cms.gov/COVID-Training-Instructions.aspx
The pandemic has changed the ground rules for defining, measuring, and reimbursing quality.
“Alarming Spike” in COVID-19 Cases Seen in SNFs.
A new report released today by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) shows skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) experiencing an “alarming spike” in COVID-19 cases due to community spread among the general population. The findings are based on recent data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).