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July 15, 2024 | Volume 9, Issue No. 28
The Situation Report will be issued biweekly starting today through September 16.
TOP STORIES:
HCA Heading To Capitol Hill To Meet With NY Congressional Offices, Advocate Against Medicare Cuts
HCA will meet with a wide group of delegation offices to educate the officials and staffs of the nature, severity and ramifications of the CMS Rule and associated cuts to home health care in NYS.
Governor’s Commission on the Future of Health Care Hears from HCA, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Health Plans
HCA will further reach out to the full membership to discuss and shape further input to the Commission, the Governor’s office, and fellow health care sectors.
DOH Discuss Important Developments with Associations at Monthly Managed Care Meeting
HCA and other associations with health plan members (mainstream plans, MLTCs, PACE) met with representatives of the State Department of Health’s (DOH’s) Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP) in the Department’s July monthly managed care meeting.
Commemorating the Life and Leadership of Former Assembly Health Chair and Assembly Majority Leader James R. Tallon
HCA pauses to commemorate and celebrate the life and leadership of former Assembly Health Chair, former Assembly Majority Leader, and statewide health care leader James R. Tallon.
Beat The Heat This Week! Excessive Heat Through Wednesday
HCA wants to know what you are doing to keep cool and patients safe; we will use the information in our advocacy efforts. Send us your best tips and practices to bvogel@hcanys.org.
NYS DOH Survey Process and Understanding Compliance Training Series Part 1 Now Available
Part Two will be held late on July 31 from 1-2 pm and will focus on the commonly cited deficiencies and preparing for survey success.
CMS Releases a Companion Guide to Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Final Rule
The guide provides requirements related to documentation of access to care and service payment rates. It is designed to help states understand when requirements apply to them and how to meet those requirements.
OSHA Releases Proposed Rule on Excessive Heat in the Workplace
If finalized, the rule would become OSHA’s first-ever federal safety standard addressing excessive heat in the workplace, and is projected to help protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses, and deaths in the workplace.
CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines for Fall/Winter
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued recommendations for receiving the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines and the updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines to protect against severe COVID-19 and flu this fall and winter.
Guidance Issued on Closing Procedures for County LHCSAs
The guidance follows a change, effective February 7, 2024, that allows local health departments to relinquish their Article 36 licensures while still providing core public health functions.
DOH Posts Telehealth Policy Manual
HCA will continue to advocate that telehealth be allowed for more services at home as its coverage has been expanded in other health sectors.
Nurses Across NY Loan Repayment Program Cycle 2 SOI Released - Applications Due Aug 22!
The NANY Loan Repayment Program makes funds available to help recruit RNs and LPNs and encourage them to remain in medically underserved areas of the state.
Minor Changes Proposed to Medicare Home Health Change of Care Notice
Home health agencies (HHAs) must provide the HHCCN to a beneficiary whenever they reduce or terminate that beneficiary’s home health services due to physician/provider orders or limitation of the HHA in providing the specific service.
CMS Posts Proposed New OASIS Items
The new section includes four items that address living situation, food, utilities, and transportation.
CMS Health Information Handler Helps Providers Submit Medical Review Documentation Electronically
In an effort to improve the adoption of exchanging healthcare documentation electronically, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed the CMS Health Information Handler (CMS HIH) to provide, at no cost, services and support to providers and other organizations interested in exchanging medical documentation electronically to your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) using the following formats.
New Home Health and Hospice Distinctions Put You at the Forefront of Innovative Care
Confidently navigate the future of in-home care.
Asking For Your Help With HCA-Cornell University Partnered Survey To Support Medication Management
This is a major opportunity for HCA, Cornell and the home care community to work together on the ground floor of this critical initiative that can improve quality, support critical health functioning in patients with mental decline, promote cost-effectiveness, and introduce numerous additional improvements to the health care policies and the health care system overall.
Now Hiring! Lifeline Seeks Director of Healthcare Sales
The Director, Healthcare Sales Eastern Zone, is responsible for all sales related activities within their assigned regional geography and will be fully responsible to lead, direct and motivate their assigned sales territory manager team to achieve the predefined sales quota and achieve their incremental annual sales growth targets.
Now Available on Demand! Enhancing Quality Improvement for Home Health Care: A 5-Part Series
HCA sponsored a new series of quality focused webinars that offers a range of topics, from developing and improving your quality improvement plans and metrics, to key insights on data driven approaches to improve patient care transitions, and strategies for combating implicit bias in home care nursing, and more.
New Patient and Provider Materials Available in Multiple Languages
To enhance the point-of-care service, HCA E&R with assistance from member agencies and pilot participants identified a few key documents that would be helpful to have in multiple languages that are prevalent in New York state.
Tap Into HCA’s Resources!
The Home Care Association of New York State Education and Research (HCA E&R) has several free resources available for use and reference.
Upcoming Important Deadlines
Stay up to date on upcoming dates/requirements that impact home care, hospices and managed long term care plans.
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