Membership Reminder: The renewal deadline for your KHCA/KCAL membership is March 31st. We strive to give you a highly-valued return on your dues investment, and we look forward to serving you in the year ahead. 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your membership status, please contact Kristin Plantz kplantz@khca.org.

Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

Keeping the theme of the revisions to regulations published in QSP-25-12-NH, PBJ is one of the revisions made. PBJ reporting has frequently been cited as a deficient practice since the requirements were originally released to providers by CMS. This revision actually helps facilities. Most of the deficiencies in this state have revolved around inaccurate information on the PBJ report…NOT the failure to submit the report. Now those concerns will be reviewed from F725 & F727 & in almost all cases (but not all), surveyors find the facility actually had the staff, but they just weren’t coded accurately on the PBJ report. 

AHCA has provided excellent resources for many of the revisions and more are promised. Here is the F-Tag Action Tool from AHCA. READ MORE

TOMORROW! Webinar: F880 – Infection Prevention & Control

2/11/25 - 1:30PM - 2:30PM

Click here for more details.

Aging Services Day

February 18, 2025 - 8:30AM - 4:00PM

Aging Services Day is a collaborative event put together by Kansas Health Care Association/Kansas Center for Assisted Living, LeadingAge Kansas and Kansas Adult Care Executives where Long Term Care Providers gather at the state capitol to champion the needs of our elderly in Kansas. We will meet in the morning for education at The Beacon then go to the Capitol for a full afternoon of legislative advocacy on issues that are crucial to the LTC Profession with our Kansas Legislators. It’s a powerful opportunity to allow your voice to be heard and influence positive change for LTC providers and the population we care for. Be part of the movement for better aging services. LEARN MORE

Sponsors for this event include:

A Message from the President & CEO Linda MowBray: Our Kansas Commitment - Friday, February 7, 2025

Earlier this week, the House Social Services Budget (SSB) Committee took the testimony they heard last week and “worked” the budget for KDADS and several other agencies. We asked for a full rebase and a $30 per day Medicaid add-on. The committee gave us the full rebase 4.8 M State General Funds (SGF) /12.3 M All Funds (AF) to rebase our nursing homes. Unfortunately, they moved the Medicaid add-on from $30 per day to $20 per day. This was still a budget increase of 29.3 M SGF /68.6 M AF. It’s not what we had hoped for but given the tight budget this year, we were pleased, nonetheless, that new money was added.

Earlier today, the House Appropriations Committee heard recommendations from the SSB and they were brutal to most of the asks for increases to any part of the budget. That said, our lobby team had met with the committee chairman, Troy Waymaster as well as Speaker Hawkins to provide evidence to support the need for an increase. Additionally, I reached out to those of you who have homes located in the districts of the House Appropriations committee and asked you to reach out directly to your Representative about the upcoming KDADS budget recommendations and the dire need for increased funding. Your response was over the top and very much appreciated!

At the end of the day, Appropriations accepted our request for a full rebase plus the $20 per Medicaid day add-on! Let me say again, other budgets were absolutely slashed and thanks to your personal reach outs, our budget requests made it through. One more step down with more hurdles to come. The budget recommendations now move on to the full House for consideration. I will again reach out to you when the time is right to have you contact your Representative.

Next Steps

Don’t forget to sign up for our joint KHCA/LeadingAge Kansas/KACE Aging Services Day which is Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Your in person visit to tell your story is so very meaningful. You are their constituents, and they will listen to you. We can open the door, but we need you to walk through it.

Thank you for trusting us to be your voice in this fight. As always, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you.

Linda MowBray, President/CEO

lmowbray@khca.org

(785) 267-6003

Upcoming iQIES Service Center Hold Times February Deadline Reminder

Due to the Payroll Based Journal quarterly deadline, the iQIES Service Center is projecting an increase in the volume of calls and emails between now and February 14, 2025. READ MORE

Nursing Home Operators Continue To Struggle With Trump Administration’s Communications Freeze

Skilled Nursing News (2/4, Siddiqi) reports, "The Trump administration’s communications freeze, which has indefinitely blocked a majority of external communications by" CMS, "continues to cause turmoil for nursing home operators." The "freeze, imposed last week, has disrupted the flow of key health care data, including that issued by the" CDC, "causing problems for some facilities by delaying updates to their star ratings and other public health measures that rely on CMS data." Amid the freeze, "operators have managed to get by despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, according to" AHCA/NCAL Public Affairs Senior Vice President Rachel Reeves. Reeves explained, "Certainly, external communications from the federal government help bring clarity on certain issues to providers and consumers alike, but providers are continuing to do what they do best during this transition – provide high-quality care."

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (2/5, Johnson) reports Reeves added, "We look forward to federal agencies resuming traditional external communications and perhaps more importantly, working with stakeholders to advance solutions for patients and providers." 

Life Safety Bootcamp

February 26 - 27, 2025 Olathe, KS

Undergoing a Life Safety Code survey can be a high-pressure experience, particularly when the outcome impacts not only regulatory compliance but also the safety and well-being of facility occupants. In this session, Kenn will share expert guidance on how to effectively prepare for a Life Safety Code survey, with a focus on fostering productive and positive interactions with surveyors. Drawing from years of experience, Kenn will cover essential best practices to ensure that your facility meets the stringent inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) requirements outlined in the Life Safety and Healthcare Facility Codes.

Through practical examples and real-world survey scenarios, Kenn will explain how these codes are applied in operational settings, address recent updates to the standards, and highlight the increasing ITM requirements that facilities must now meet. The Life Safety Code serves as the cornerstone for protecting building occupants by establishing minimum standards for critical systems such as fire protection, emergency power generation, door operations, and overall facility services. Adherence to these standards is not just a regulatory obligation, but a fundamental aspect of maintaining a safe environment for all who live and work in healthcare and other regulated facilities. LEARN MORE

Aging Services Day 2025

2/18/25 - 8:30AM -4:00PM

Click here for more details.

Webinar: Incident Investigations

2/18/25 - 1:30PM - 2:30PM

Click here for more details.

Life Safety Code Boot Camp

2/26 - 2/27/25 - 8:00AM - 3:30PM

Click here for more details.

RAC-CT Certification In-Person Workshop

3/4 - 3/6/25 - 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Click here for more details.