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.

Aging Services Day - 2025

Today we had over 80 people representing Aging Services spent time at the State Capitol during KHCA/KCAL, LeadingAge and KACE's Aging Services Day. We’d like to thank all that took time out of their schedules to convey the message to our State Legislators the importance and value of Aging Services.

Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

In today’s McKnight’s Clinical Daily, there is a very interesting article titled, “Hearing Loss Raises Fall Odds by 51%, Research Shows. https://www.mcknights.com/news/hearing-loss-raises-fall-odds-by-51-percent-research-shows/?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=8NWLTR_MLT_CLINICAL_03242025&hmEmail=7n8%2FnCqJ2EkZVo%2BD7NdkWt9Sz%2By1cfMN&sha256email=fbf33a7d51f2b4dc43206e4af9c3d189a41c798606a36c9ae3a3324420aa90e5&elqTrack=True. This article is worth the time to read. (It’s a short read). And within the article, it addresses the fact that hearing loss is a “modifiable risk factor”. “The findings revealed that individuals with hearing loss had 51% higher odds of falls in cross-sectional studies and 17% greater risk of falls in longitudinal studies compared to those without hearing loss.” READ MORE

Funding available to attain Age-Friendly Health Systems Recognition and Kansas 4M Champion status (Apply by April 31, 2025)

Kansas 4M Geriatrics Workforce Education Program is offering

$1,000 for up to 30 sites to participate in an Age-Friendly Action Community and achieve Level 1 and Level 2 Age-Friendly Health Systems Recognition.

The program uses an evidence-based framework known as the 4Ms:

What Matters, Medication, Mentation (Mind), and Mobility.

Participating sites may include nursing homes, primary care sites and delivery systems, hospitals, ambulatory care, convenient care clinics, geriatric surgery, and geriatric emergency departments serving older adults across Kansas.

Click here for additional information or to apply

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

Today is Friday, March 21, 2025, and with it brings day 46 of this Legislative Session. We have one week left, including some late nights, until the end of the 2025 regular legislative session. The Legislature will take a break and return April 10, 2025 to start the veto session.

Sub for HB2007 - Legislative Budget

Legislative Budget- including full rebase and $20 per day Medicaid add-on for Nursing Homes. The bill was heard in the Senate and passed 28 to12. Because there are differences in the bill between the Senate and the House, the areas with the differences will go to conference committee. Our funding is not one of those issues, so our rate increase stands. As for the areas in conference committee, they will need to be hammered out before the bill can be concurred by both Chambers. We believe that this process may take most of next week but will be done before first adjournment.

Kansas Health Care Association/KCAL, LeadingAge Kansas and KACE will hold AGING SERVICES DAY Monday, March 24, 2025 at the Beacon and then at the Capitol. Click here for details.

The next Bob Bethell Joint HCBS and KanCare Oversight Committee will be April 14, 2025. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are having issues with KanCare or the MCOs so we may bring them to the Committee’s attention.

We want to remind members that the 2025 membership renewal deadline is March 31. From legislative advocacy to quality improvement, our team is working to help you strengthen your operations with expert guidance, survey and regulatory support, education and so much more. We look forward to your renewal so we can continue serving you in the year ahead. For questions about your membership, please contact Jennafer Sumner jsumner@khca.org or Kristin Plantz kplantz@khca.org on our staff.

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

Linda MowBray, President/CEO

lmowbray@khca.org

(785) 267-6003

April 2025 KDHE/DHCF Medicaid Training Opportunities!

Click here for more information.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Daily Digest Bulletin - Spring 2025 ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Update 

Spring 2025 ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting Update:

The recording links and passwords for the Spring 2025 ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Update are available at https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes/icd-10-coordination-maintenance-committee-materials. 

Deadlines Reminder: 

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• April 18, 2025 is the deadline for receipt of public comments on proposed new procedure codes, addenda, and revisions being considered for implementation on October 1, 2025.

Comments on procedure code topics should be directed to CMS at ICDProcedureCodeRequest@cms.hhs.gov

Make Your Voice Heard at the 2025 AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing - Register Today

Join us June 9-10, 2025, for the AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing in Washington, D.C. Now is a critical time to ensure lawmakers fully understand the challenges you face in delivering quality care. Register today!

Advance Concepts for Operators - Assisted Living Lunch and Learn

April 17, 2025 - 9:15AM - 3:30PM

This lunch and learn was created specifically with the Operators of our Kansas State Licensed Only facilities in mind. This 1-day lunch and learn will dive into topics that we frequently receive questions on for our Assisted Living, Home Plus and Residential Health Care Providers. Class size is limited to 40 and will include sharing and perspectives from all setting types.

Click here to learn more.

Dietary as a Business Virtual Workshop

3/26/25 - 1:00PM -5:00PM

Click here for more details.

2025 Spring Joint Provider Workshop

April 2nd - Wichita Event Registration Link 

April 3rd - Topeka Event Registration Link 

April 3rd Virtual Event Registration Link 

Webinar: F684 - Quality of Care

4/8/25 - 1:30PM - 2:30PM

Click here for more details.

Webinar: Falls & Accidents

4/15/25 - 1:30PM - 2:30PM

Click here for more details.

Advanced Concepts for Operators - Assisted Living

Lunch and Learn

4/17/25 - 9:15AM - 3:30PM

Click here for more details.

Assisted Living Conference

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

Click here for more details.

Advantage Wound Care Certification Course

5/14/25 & 5/15/25 - 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Click here for more details.

Click here for more details about the scholarship.