CMS updated this 5-page Admin Info: 20-07-ALL notification on June 19, 2020. The original was posted April 30, 2020. “On March 4, 2020, CMS called for States to focus surveys on infection control and on March 23, 2020 provided a streamlined tool to facilitate these efforts. There is currently wide variation in … Read More
Infection prevention/control training: What your SNF needs to do NOW
Overall, nursing homes in the U.S. have done well at keeping COVID-19 out of their facilities but we still have lots of work to do in terms of infection prevention and control in our facilities. The statistics are sobering – to date, approximately 26,000 residents and 450 LTC workers have died … Read More
5th national nursing home training session: PPE strategies for COVID care
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) strategies for COVID care When: Thursday, June 25, 2020 Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm ET Registration Required: Register HERE Objectives Following this call, participants will understand why using personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary for infection prevention and will be able to describe how to properly use it. … Read More
CMS issues call to action based on new data detailing COVID-19 impacts on Medicare beneficiaries
On June 22, 2020, CMS called for “a renewed national commitment to value-based care based on Medicare claims data that provides an early snapshot of the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the Medicare population. The data shows that older Americans and those with chronic health conditions are at … Read More
Medicare coverage of COVID-19 testing for nursing home residents and patients
On Friday, June 19, 2020, CMS instructed Medicare Administrative Contactors and notified Medicare Advantage plans to cover coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) laboratory tests for nursing home residents and patients. This instruction follows the CDC recent update of COVID-19 Testing Guidelines for Nursing Homes that provides recommendations for testing of nursing home residents … Read More