June 18, 2025

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The Latest News

KHCA/KCAL will be observing the State and Federal Juneteenth Holiday on Thursday, June 19, 2025. For more information on the Juneteenth holiday, click here.

BREAKING: CMS dropping third-cycle inspections from Care Compare ratings, adding more chain info

McKnight's Long-Term Care News (6/18, Marselas), reports, "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday announced it is making major changes to its Care Compare site, including the elimination of old, third-cycle inspection results from its health inspection rating."

Reconciliation Update: Senate Finance Committee Releases Their Version

Late on Monday, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee released their portion of the “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill. Since Senate Finance oversees Medicaid and Medicare, this is where our focus has been over the past few weeks, after the House passed their version of bill right before Memorial Day.

As we have shared previously, the Senate often likes to do its own thing, as we’re seeing in the release of this draft text. The good news for long term care is that Senate Republicans recognize the vulnerabilities of the population we serve and are attempting to insulate us from any Medicaid reductions.

What’s In Senate Finance’s Version

Medicaid Provider Taxes

Senate Finance is proposing some changes for states that did or did not expand Medicaid (see if your state is an expansion state):

Non-expansion states: a freeze on current provider taxes, like the House passed.
Expansion states: a phased reduction of the hold harmless threshold by 0.5% annually starting in 2027. This phased reduction would continue for five years through 2031 until the threshold reaches 3.5%. However, there is a carve out for nursing homes and intermediate care facilities. These provider classes are exempt from the phased reduction to 3.5%.

Retroactive Coverage

Current law affords retroactive coverage for three months prior to the approval of an entered application. Senate Finance language proposes 60 days for all categories of eligibility other than expansion new adults. Compared to House language, which reduced retroactive coverage to 30 days, this represents a step in the right direction and an invitation to ongoing dialogue.

Staffing Mandate

Senate Finance includes a permanent repeal of the staffing mandate.

What Happens Next

There are many other provisions in this draft legislation, and we are continuing to comb through the language and potential implications. But this is progress for the sector.

In terms of process, once Senate Republicans coalesce around language, they will proceed directly to the Senate floor for consideration of all pieces of the legislation. They want to achieve this by the Fourth of July. If the Senate’s version is different than the House’s, then it must go back to the House to be considered once again.

So yet again, there are a lot of changes that can happen between now and then. But the next couple of weeks are critical, and we are remaining vigilant at every step of the legislative process. This week, we are hosting our Council for Post-Acute Care meeting in Washington, D.C., so the timing is perfect to keep the pressure on lawmakers.

How You Can Help: Contact Your Senators

Just last week, a record 700 of you came to D.C. to lobby your members of Congress directly. Thank you for making AHCA/NCAL’s Congressional Briefing such a tremendous success! But we can’t let up.

Now is the perfect time to reach back out to your senators, especially if they are Republicans. Call or email, and tell them to protect Medicaid for seniors, including provider taxes. If it’s right to do so, thank them for their efforts.

Collectively, we are making an impact. And today, we’re seeing some of the results. Let’s continue to keep up the fight and win this for our residents.

Clifton J. Porter, II

President & CEO, AHCA/NCAL

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Senate Republicans Spare Nursing Homes From Medicaid Provider Tax Cuts

Skilled Nursing News (6/17, Siddiqi) reports, "Senate Republicans are pushing a proposal to scale back Medicaid provider taxes to help fund a sweeping budget package – but nursing homes and intermediate care facilities would be exempt from the cuts." AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President of Government Relations Michael Bassett said, "We appreciate the Senate’s recognition that nursing homes and intermediate care facilities need to be shielded from potential provider tax reductions, a clear signal that this Medicaid program is essential to funding critical care for our nation’s seniors and individuals with disabilities."

McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (6/17, Marselas) reports the "Congressional Budget Office has not yet rated the Senate bill, but it previously estimated capping all provider taxes at 2.5% would save the federal government $248 billion over 10 years." New Hampshire Health Care Association President and CEO Brendan Williams "estimated a 3.5% cap would drop hospital payments by $123 million, which would also result in a damaging federal match reduction."

Call for Letters of Interest for KHCA Open Board Positions

We are currently accepting applications for two open board positions:

District IV Vice President- Representing Smith, Jewell, Republic, Washington, Marshall, Osborne, Mitchell, Cloud, Clay, Riley, Pottawatomie, Lincoln, Ottawa, Dickinson, Geary, Ellsworth, Saline, Morris, Rice, McPherson, Marion and Chase County

Government Affairs Vice President – Focusing on legislation and regulations that would be favorable to the residents and providers of long-term health care.

If you are passionate about contributing to the Associations leadership and growth, we encourage you to apply.

To apply, you will need to submit:

Letter of interest
Letter of recommendation from a colleague
Resume

Your letter of interest should include:

Your Name and Contact Information
The Board Position You Are Applying For
Why You Are Interested in Serving on the Board
Your Vision and Goals for the Role

Please submit your letter to khca@khca.org by end of business day on July 7, 2025. Letters of interest will be reviewed by current KHCA board members and appointment will be made at the July 11^th board meeting.

Members Only Nurse Advisory Committee (NAC) and Facility Standards Call - Friday, June 20, 2025 10:00AM - 11:00AM

Join us at 10:00 AM where Linda MowBray, President/CEO, will give a Congressional Briefing update, Cynthia Pendleton, Facility Standards VP, will review recent SNF survey findings, followed by Nurse Advisory Committee President, Michelle Novotny, to discuss Nursing Scholarships, hot topics, and the latest happenings.

STATEMENT OF KHCA/KCAL’s ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) POLICY

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Latest Survey Findings

Reflections

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KHCA/KCAL District 1 Round Table

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 from 10:30AM - 12:30PM in Shawnee, KS

KHCA/KCAL Board Members would like to invite you to the KHCA/KCAL District 1 Round Table hosted by Suzie Sexton, Brett Pu, Jeremy Whitt, Miles Nease, Fred Pitzel and KHCA/KCAL President and CEO Linda MowBray. (See image for counties included in this district.) We will discuss hot topics in your area and answer any questions that you might have. Come join us for some heavy appetizers and refreshments. Also, if you attend you can sign up to win one of the $50 gift cards or a $100 gift card.

Location:

Johnson County Library – Monticello

22435 W. 66^th St.

Shawnee, KS 66226

You do not have to be a KHCA/KCAL Member to attend and there is no cost.

RSVP:

If you plan to attend this meeting, please RSVP to the KHCA/KCAL office by emailing Teresa Keating (tkeating@khca.org). Please indicate your name, community and a phone number.

AHCA Sees "A Better Way" Forward For Nursing Home Care As US Population Ages

Provider Magazine (6/1) reported that the US "has a growing elderly population." AHCA believes "there is A Better Way forward, and" the organization stands "ready to offer bold solutions" in nursing home care "that benefit all stakeholders." AHCA President and CEO Clif Porter said, "There is a better way forward where we not only sustain the high-quality care that our nation’s seniors deserve, but grow and transform it to meet the evolving demands of an aging population."

Education Spotlight

Nurse Leadership Conference

June 25-26, 2025

Salina, KS

Members $219 | Non Members $269 until June 11th

This special Nurse Leadership Conference is an opportunity for nurses working in the Long-Term Care setting to strengthen their leadership and clinical skills. Building strong leaders through education is essential to promoting a better quality of life for our residents. Meet new vendor partners and spend time networking and getting to know others that are doing the same valuable work that you’re doing. A fun networking event is in place Downtown Salina. This will be a separate ticket event, so don’t forget to sign up. Let’s enjoy some time relaxing and learning from each other.

Click here to learn more.

Upcoming Education