KHCA/KCAL Update 9/29/25

September 29, 2025

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The Latest News

Clinical Update from KHCA Consultant Linda Farrar

Again, based on survey results, let’s talk Discharge Planning this week. It’s more than a regulatory requirement, but rather it is vital to the residents’ care processes. It requires precision, empathy, and coordination (a LOT of coordination) …even if the resident doesn’t intend to leave the facility. It must include safety, continuity, and especially dignity, BUT it also has to meet regulatory requirements including “person-centered” locus of care principles. Discharge planning is a continuous process that reflects the facility’s commitment to quality, compliance and compassion. It should reflect strength to the residents and caregivers rather than stress! Feel free to use this document as a checklist for discharge planning to ensure all components are covered in each resident’s care plan. READ MORE

New FAQs from KDADS

Click here for more information.

Therapy over restorative nursing? A look at trending Medicare auditor concerns

For many nursing homes denied payment by Medicare contractors, the rationale given for withholding dollars comes down to insufficient or missing documentation.

But it’s not easy to know just where medical reviewers and auditors will look closest for the supporting documentation needed to back up coding and claims, experts point out. Providers need to recognize regulators’ focus isn’t static, they add. READ MORE

Registration for DON Boot Camp is open!

November 10 - 12, 2025

Olathe, KS

The KHCA Director of Nursing Boot Camp program is designed to support nursing professionals in Long Term Care and Skilled Nursing Facilities who are preparing for or serving in leadership roles. Whether you are a newly appointed Director of Nursing, an RN with potential to serve in the DON role, or a current DON that is looking for a refresher. The KHCA DON Boot Camp provides the knowledge, tools, and strategies to succeed. READ MORE

CMS Says Data Collection For Nursing Home Care Compare, Special Focus Facility Status Has Resumed

myzPAX (9/25, Connole) reports a recent memo from CMS "puts the Special Focus Facility (SFF) reporting process back on track after the agency briefly paused data collection this summer to account for the transition to a cloud-based Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) for nursing home survey and certification data." The agency "said instead of the original projection for the technical pause to last until October, it is now complete as data collection for Nursing Home Care Compare and SFF status resumed as of this week (Sept. 24)."

Proposed MA payment requirements would address one of skilled nursing’s biggest ‘pain points’

Medicare Advantage plans would be expected to pay nearly all clean claims within 30 days under bipartisan legislation recently introduced in both chambers.

The proposed crackdown on drawn-out MA billing and payment practices pledges “commonsense fixes … that will help healthcare providers and patients by bringing transparency and stability to the program.” That’s according to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), a co-sponsor of the Medicare Advantage Prompt Pay Act. READ MORE

AHCA/NCAL Develops Comprehensive Respiratory Protection Plan Training, Toolkit

Provider Magazine (9/23, 151K) reported "skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and ID/DD centers are required by OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) to establish and maintain a respiratory protection program when employees are exposed to airborne hazards," as well as follow CMS health standards. In order to "assist care providers in meeting these federal requirements, AHCA/NCAL, in collaboration with MCA Consulting, LLC, has developed a comprehensive Respiratory Protection Plan training and toolkit."

Nominations Now Open for the 2026/2027 AHCA/NCAL Committees

From September 9 through October 10, all AHCA/NCAL provider members have the opportunity to nominate themselves or another member to serve on one or more of the AHCA/NCAL Committees. READ MORE

Education Spotlight

Assisted Living Lunch and Learn: A Deeper Look at FCS, NSA, and HSP

October 16, 2025

Wichita, KS

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

The Functional Capacity Screen (FCS) may look simple—but completing it accurately can be anything but. In this interactive Lunch and Learn, you’ll learn how to correctly complete an FCS, identify and work through common gray areas, and document your findings with confidence.

Click here for more details.

Upcoming Education