February 3, 2025

This message contains confidential information and is intended only for KHCA/KCAL membership. Dissemination, distribution or copying the contents of this email beyond this group is strictly prohibited.

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.

The Latest News

Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

At the risk of further revisions to the regulations due to the change of Administration, one of the changes included in QSO-25-07-NH involves F641 Accuracy of Assessments. CMS recently announced significant revisions to F641 which pertain to the accuracy of the MDS in facilities.

Key changes include: READ MORE

Frozen out again: Nursing homes don’t get anticipated thaw of key quality metrics

Two key updates to consumer-facing metrics that skilled nursing operators had been expecting last week appear to have been blocked by a White House freeze on healthcare communications.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services typically updates data on its Care Compare site on the last Wednesday of the month, but that did not happen in January. CMS had previously confirmed that the site — meant to help patients and family members choose a nursing home based on performance measures and other factors — would be updated on or around Jan. 29. READ MORE

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:

Virtual KDADS Regional Round Tables February 10th, 2025

Please join survey certification and credentialing commissioner Lacey Hunter and assistant commissioner Dawne Altis for a virtual session of Adult Care Home regional round tables, February 10th, 2025, from 12pm-1:30pm.

Topics will include:

State Licensed Only Involuntary Discharge Reporting (Assisted Living, Residential Health Care, Home Plus)
Changes to CCRC since July 1, 2024
Receivership - what is it and how do you apply for it
Top deficiencies cited
Survey consistency
CMPs and Other Enforcement
NATCEP Bans and Waiver Process

In Case You Missed It

A Message from the President & CEO Linda MowBray: Our Kansas Commitment

It’s Friday, January 31, 2025. Normally, the Legislature is “Pro Forma*” on Fridays with committees not meeting. That is not the case this year. Eight different committees plus both the House and Senate are slated to meet today. As I explained in last week’s Friday note, the accelerated time frame that leadership set to accomplish state business is the cause for this “hurry up offence.”

What it means to you is that the association and lobbyist must work quickly and efficiently to protect your interests and secure stable funding for FY26 (July 1, 2025). Additionally, we may be calling on you to make reach outs to key legislators on our issues and to respond to our requests for information via polls or surveys. With that said, if you haven’t completed the joint KHCA/LeadingAge Kansas survey asking about how you are utilizing the current Medicaid add-on of $15.18 here is the link to do so. https://forms.office.com/r/v4K5gFkYvL

On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, KDADS presented the agency budget to the House Social Service Budget committee. They recommended not rebasing our nursing homes and only inflating the rates by 3.75%. They also discontinued any Medicaid add-on. This is in line with the Governor’s budget recommendation. This is not adequate or acceptable for this profession.

On Thursday, January 30, 2025, Social Service Budget committee heard testimony from stakeholders about the KDADS budget. Our testimony can be read here. To view the proceedings, click here. Our testimony starts at 4:52.34. KHCA District Vice President Rodney Whittington testified on behalf of KACE after coordinating with KHCA and LeadingAge Kansas. His testimony can be seen at the same link at time stamp 5:11:31. The committee had over 40 conferees and while the meeting lasted well over 2 hours, each speaker was only granted a couple of minutes to speak. Because of the limited time, we chose to deviate from the written testimony to really hit home our needs.

Next Steps

The Social Service Budget Committee will “work” the budget on Tuesday, February 3, 2025 and make recommendations. Those recommendations will be presented next Friday, February 7, 2025 during the House Appropriation Committee. Click here for a list of the Legislators on that Committee along with the care homes in their district. If you’re on that list, be prepared to hear from us asking for you to reach out to them.

Don’t forget to sign up for our joint KHCA/LeadingAge Kansas/KACE Aging Services Day which is Tuesday, February 18, 2025 and prepare to tell your story to your elected officials.

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

*Pro Forma - according to form; as a matter of form; for the sake of form.

Brian Barbeau announced as the new Vice-President of Reimbursement

We are pleased to announce that the KHCA board of directors has appointed Brian Barbeau as the new Vice-President of Reimbursement beginning at his swearing in at the February Board Meeting. The membership approved the creation of this position last September at the annual business meeting. Interested parties were asked to submit a statement of relevant experience to the board. Three candidates applied and the board voted in an anonymous election to appoint Barbeau. He is currently a District VP for KHCA, a former AHCA/NCAL future leader and a member of the AHCA/NCAL reimbursement committee. He is currently VP of Operations with Axiom Healthcare Services providing operational support for over 500 employees and overseeing budgets representing $45M in annual revenue.

Congratulations to Brian Barbeau and a big thank you to the others who put in for the position.

Current Tuberculosis Outbreak in Kansas City, Kan. Metro Area

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments, have been responding to an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) in the Kansas City, Kan. Metropolitan (KCK Metro) area since January 2024. As of Jan. 31, 2025, there are 67 confirmed cases of active tuberculosis (TB) disease, including 60 in Wyandotte County and seven (7) in Johnson County, associated with this outbreak. Of these individuals, 35 have completed treatment and are considered cured and 30 are currently under treatment. Most are no longer considered infectious to others or are isolating to avoid infecting others. There are two reported deaths associated with this outbreak. READ MORE

In first Senate grilling, RFK Jr. reveals anti-staffing mandate stance and his Medicaid weaknesses

Senators grilled President Trump’s nominee for the nation’s top health post Wednesday on his ideas for Medicaid and Medicare, value-based care and maintaining access to rural healthcare, even eliciting a description of the nursing home staffing mandate as a “disaster.”

At times, Heath and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke passionately about chronic conditions, reducing the cost of services and medications and making Americans healthier. At others, he revealed a lack of knowledge about topics including Medicaid — calling it a fully federal insurance program despite heavy state involvement and funding — and important differences between Medicaid and Medicare. READ MORE

McKnight's LTC News: Health officials alarmed by tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas

Education Spotlight

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

Upcoming Education