Friends:
Thank goodness that the most recent COVID surge is mostly in our rearview mirror. Thanks to the diligence of your teams and the power of vaccination, serious illness and death were greatly minimized. As we said since the beginning of this pandemic, every death is to be mourned, and every life saved is to be celebrated. And, the healthcare heroes in your centers have saved far more lives than were lost. This was especially true of the most recent surge.
Federal and State healthcare leaders are warning of a severe fall flu season and future COVID surges. In our work with the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), we believe that the Department will make regular the spot antibody testing that has been conducted in our setting.
Last week, MDH organized a call with HFAM, LeadingAge Maryland, and the LifeSpan Network and former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Robert R. Redfield, MD. The purpose of the call was to stress the importance of COVID and annual flu vaccination, along with the value of ongoing antibody testing in our sector. LeadingAge Maryland, the LifeSpan Network, and HFAM will host a Zoom meeting with Dr. Redfield in late March or early April. Stay tuned for specifics.
Legislative and Government Affairs Update
We are past the halfway point of the 444 Session of the Maryland General Assembly. Along with our partners and members, we have reviewed thousands of pieces of legislation.
In addition, HFAM and the LifeSpan Network were asked by the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) to report on our sector. Click here for HFAM’s presentation. Click here for video of the MHCC Presentation. I begin my presentation at the 6:36 minute mark and the Q&A goes to about 35:00. My colleague and friend Kevin Heffner’s presentation begins at 35:15— it is very important to watch the presentation to the end.
House Bill 1241
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HB 1241 was drafted by HFAM and aims to ease the critical shortage of Licensed Nursing Home Administrators (LNHAs) in Maryland and mirrors the current regulations in Delaware. Our ask on this front is supported by the facts and the data. Click here for our testimony.
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Click here for video of the hearing (we start on HB 1241 about 2 hours, 33 minutes in to the video).
Senate Budget
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Both HFAM and LifeSpan testified in the Senate to support our 4 percent annual increase and make the argument for much-needed additional funding. Click here for our testimony.
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Click here for video of the hearing (HFAM starts at 56:14; Danna Kauffman from LifeSpan with outstanding remarks after; and some good Q&A that is worth the watch).
House Budget
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HFAM and LifeSpan also testified in the House to support our 4 percent annual increase and make the argument for much-needed additional funding. Click here for our testimony.
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Click here for video of the hearing (HFAM starts at 49:39; Danna Kauffman from LifeSpan with outstanding remarks after, and some good Q&A that is worth the watch).
Recording Available! AHCA/NCAL Post-State of the Union Member Webinar
Last week, AHCA/NCAL hosted a member webinar to discuss the details of President Biden’s proposals for nursing homes and the Association’s response.
The recording of this webinar is now available. Click here to access the recording. Please note that the recording is available to AHCA/NCAL members only.
