LeadingAge New Jersey Annual Meeting & EXPO
Caesars Hotel Atlantic City
June 11 - June 13, 2019


***ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS ENDED***


Hotel Rooms

Call-In Room Reservations: (888) 516-2215 (8 a.m. - 2 a.m. EST seven days a week)
Group name: LeadingAge New Jersey 2019
Group code: SC06LA9


For more information on the EXPO:  2019 Exhibitor Prospectus

Please view the
 for additional information

Call the LeadingAge New Jersey Office at 609-452-1161 to register!

News & Updates
 


Our Story is Your Story: 
LeadingAge National Member Survey is LIVE!

Check your inboxes for LeadingAge National's member survey! 

Member organizations will receive one survey for each of their service lines. Each survey will arrive by email.
 
We are asking you to take 10-12 minutes out of your day to complete the survey. Doing so ensures LeadingAge receives quality data to help design meaningful advocacy efforts that meet your needs and develop relevant programs and services for members. Each person who completes the survey by July 5 will receive a $5 Starbucks gift card.
 
Here are 4 ways the LeadingAge member survey can help you tell your story:




 




Your input will help LeadingAge understand its members better and in turn will help LeadingAge serve its members better.

Visit LeadingAge.org/2019MemberSurvey for more information.

CMS Final Rule Increases Flexibility for PACE Organizations

New regulation from CMS increases flexibility for PACE organizations in multiple aspects of program operations. This article provides a summary and analysis of the Final Rule and what it means for PACE organizations. 

LeadingAge is hosting a briefing on the Final Rule for members on June 11 at 4pm EST

 Email  Brendan Flinn at bflinn@leadingage.org  of the LeadingAge staff if you are interested in attending. 

LeadingAge's Overall Analysis of the Final Rule

Prepared by: Brendan Flinn, LeadingAge
Updated: June 5, 2019

The Final Rule includes key provisions that will make it easier for PACE organizations to staff operations. For example, it will allow PACE organizations to hire staff without one year of experience working with elderly/frail populations if those staff are provided training, rather than only being able to draw from those with one year of experience. This will make bringing in potential new talent, particularly at the entry level, easier. It further allows physician assistants and nurse practitioners to serve as the primary care provider, rather than requiring a physician fill this role. It also allows people to fill up to two roles on the interdisciplinary team if they are licensed and qualified to do so.

The Final Rule makes the onsite review process less prescriptive and frequent. For the trial period onsite review, the Final Rule calls for "observation of program operations." This replaces more prescriptive current regulation, which requires chart reviews and interviews, among other items. It removes the requirement for onsite audits every two years after the trial period, reducing burden for both PACE organizations and CMS.

PACE organizations should be aware of new requirements set forth in the Final Rule. For example, they will be required to develop and implement compliance oversight program and to take action if problems arise. There are also changes to requirements related to marketing, including training for contractors, and data/record retention timelines.

There are not many differences between the proposed PACE rule issued in 2016 and the Final Rule. Some key proposals were not finalized, such as requiring PACE organizations to monitor and audit their organizations for compliance. In addition, CMS continues to not apply the HCBS Settings Rule to PACE Organizations.

The Final Rule will take effect in early August. LeadingAge encourages PACE members to review the Final Rule in full, and to be in touch with questions or concerns. LeadingAge will develop resources (e.g., checklists to support our PACE members as they pursue compliance with the Final Rule.

See PACE Final Rule for the full report
 




  • Assistant Administrator- Skilled Nursing Services
For more information, contact Amy Greenbaum, Association Services Coordinator at :
AGreenbaum@leadingagenj.org or call the LeadingAge New Jersey office at (609) 452-1161.  
Policy Update
The Briefing
HUD has just announced that the Multifamily Housing Help is once again available for system users
 

Multifamily Housing Help Desk
 
The Multifamily Help Desk is once again available for system users effective June 3, 2019.
 
Multifamily Online systems are for authorized users only. Before an authorized user can Login to any of Multifamily's online systems they will first have to  Apply for a user ID and Password  for general access to HUD's Web Access Security Subsystem (WASS).  Registration Instructions  are available from HUD's Office of Real Estate Management (REAC).
 
All users must access WASS and  Reset their Passwords  at least once in 90 days to maintain active status. The user is presented with the required Rules of Behavior (ROB), which must be accepted during initial login and then annually thereafter.
 

Systems Supported by The Multifamily Housing Help Desk
 

Point of Contact Information for Users
 
1-800-767-7588, 470-691-0115
1-888-297-8689 option 5
1-202-217-2008 FAX Number

Hours of Operations
 
Monday through Friday - 7:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
 


GOPAL, MADDEN BILLS TO EXTEND VETERANS' PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION CLEARS SENATE

     Trenton - Two pieces of legislation sponsored by Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee Chair Senator Vin Gopal and Senator Fred H. Madden, which would extend the veterans' property tax deduction for veterans in continuing care retirement communities, cleared the Senate today.

     "The veterans' property tax deduction is one of the many small ways that New Jersey acknowledges our veterans for the sacrifices they have made for our country and our state," said Senator Gopal (D-Monmouth). "However, this deduction currently only applies to homeowners, and many of our elderly veterans live in retirement communities where they don't own their living space, but nonetheless have extensive housing expenses. This legislation is a simple and common-sense extension to make the tax deduction apply to all veterans equally. It's the right thing to do."

     The bills,  S1331  &  SCR110 , would extend the $250 property tax deduction and total property tax exemption currently granted to honorably discharged veterans and their surviving spouses to those living in continuing care retirement communities. Current law excludes these parties because they do not own the units in which they reside.

     Currently veterans' property tax deductions are allocated within the constitution, therefore, to extend it to continuing care retirement communities it requires the constitutional amendment.  SCR110  is the constitutional amendment that would allow  S1331  to take effect and must be approved by the general public.

     "This legislation is an extension of our state's appreciation for our veterans," said Senator Madden (D-Camden / Gloucester). "These folks, whether they own their home or not, risked their lives for this country and while $250 may not seem like a large sum, when someone is in a retirement community, often living on a fixed income, every dollar counts."

      SCR110  was released from the Senate by a vote of 38-0 and next moves to the Assembly for consideration. If passed in the Assembly, the amendment will be considered by the public in the next general election.

      S1331  was released from the Senate by a vote of 38-0. 

 
Be advised that HUD has issued the following information related to recent issues with submission of Gross Rent Change errors in TRACS
 
TRACS GRC Issue/Problem

There was a recent TRACS system issue where certain retro-active (only) MAT70 Gross Rent Change (GRC) certifications were submitted, but no fatal errors were returned/generated. Instead, an internal programmatic system error (PSFERR) was issued stating "Occurrence of Certified Household already existed when CREATE attempted. POTENTIAL DATABASE CORRUPTION CONDITION HAS BEEN DETECTED."
 
 
TRACS GRC Problem Resolution
 
This TRACS GRC processing problem was resolved with a TRACS software release effective May 31, 2019.
 
 
Next Steps
 
The HUD TRACS Team advises that, beginning June 1, 2019, TRACS users should login to WASS and check the TRACS Certification Query to determine if there are missing GRC transactions for their specific rental assistance contract(s).
 
TRACS users will need to resubmit any GRCs that failed TRACS processing effective June 1, 2019, in order to be posted to the system.


CONAWAY, TULLY, SWAIN MEASURE REQUIRING CERTAIN LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES TO SUBMIT OUTBREAK RESPONSE PLAN TO DOH CLEARS ASSEMBLY PANEL
 
Legislation Prompted by Deadly Outbreak at Wanaque Facility

     (TRENTON) - Taking action in response to the adenovirus 7 outbreak that led to 11 deaths and 36 infections at The Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation last fall, a bill that would require long-term care facilities to have outbreak control plans in place cleared the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee Thursday.

     The bill ( A5527 ) is designed to contain respiratory illness outbreaks and would require the Department of Health to mandate the development and submission of the outbreak response plan. Assembly Democrats Herb Conaway, Jr., MD (D-Burlington), Christopher Tully and Lisa Swain (both D-Bergen, Passaic) are sponsors of the measure and issued the following joint statement:

     "There are parents, grandparents, siblings, other family members and friends who are still dealing with the loss, emptiness and sadness of their loved one dying or becoming severely sickened as a result of this outbreak. While everyone mourns differently, they will most likely be dealing with this pain for the rest of their lives.

     "Although this measure cannot erase their pain, it does put a system in place to ensure sure that these facilities are prepared and equipped to deal with an adenovirus 7 and other outbreaks. It specifically mandates that the plan be customized to the facility, meets national standards, and be developed in consultation with an infection control committee at the facility consisting of personnel who are trained, credentialed and experienced in infection control.

     "These steps are crucially important to protecting the health and well-being of the current residents at these facilities. They are also just as important to the families whose loved ones perished or were sickened, because it lets them know that their loss and suffering are not in vain.

     "Although outbreaks such as the one at the Wanaque facility are largely preventable through hand washing and other infection control practices, there is still a risk that outbreaks can occur--particularly at long-term care facilities.

     "This legislation gives the public peace of mind that their loved ones in long-term care facilities are being cared for by people who are prepared to respond as quickly and appropriately as possible in the event of this type of health emergency."

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