CMS Releases Additional Blanket Waivers
On May 11, CMS issued additional
waivers
for the healthcare community that provide the flexibilities needed to take care of patients during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). This is in addition to the waivers that were released on April 30. The following blanket waivers are in effect, with a retroactive effective date of March 1, 2020 through the end of the emergency declaration.
Paid Feeding Assistants
CMS is modifying the minimum timeframe requirements for feeding assistant training to allow the training to be a minimum of one hour in length. CMS is not waiving any other requirements related to paid feeding assistants or the required training content which contains infection control training and other elements. Additionally, CMS is also not waiving or modifying the requirements that a feeding assistant must work under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN).
With this waiver, AHCA/NCAL’s
Temporary Feeding Assistant training
is allowable. However, additional state requirements may need to be waived to permit individuals completing this program to assist with care in your location. We encourage you to contact your state survey agencies and state occupational licensing agencies, where applicable.
Specific Life Safety Code (LSC) for Multiple Providers
CMS is waiving and modifying waivers under for ICF/IIDs and SNF/NFs. Specifically, CMS is modifying these requirements as follows:
Alcohol-based Hand-Rub (ABHR) Dispensers
: CMS is waiving the requirements for the placement of ABHR dispensers for use by staff and others due to the need for the increased use of ABHR. However, ABHRs contain ethyl alcohol, which is considered a flammable liquid, and there are restrictions on the storage and location of the containers. This includes restricting access by certain patient/resident populations to prevent accidental ingestion.
Due to the increased fire risk for bulk containers (over five gallons) those will still need to be stored in a protected hazardous materials area. In addition, facilities should continue to protect ABHR dispensers against inappropriate use.
Fire Drills
: Due to the inadvisability of quarterly fire drills that move and bring staff together, CMS will instead permit a documented orientation training program related to the current fire plan, which considers current facility conditions. The training should instruct employees, including existing, new or temporary employees, on their current duties, life safety procedures, and the fire protection devices in their assigned area.
Temporary Construction
: CMS is waiving requirements that would otherwise not permit temporary walls and barriers between patients.
Hospital Swing Bed Waiver
The new blanket
waivers
include a waiver expanding the ability of hospitals to offer long term care services to patients who do not require acute care but meet the SNF level of care criteria at 42 CFR 409.31. CMS is waiving the eligibility requirements for hospital providers of long-term care services (swing beds) at 42 CFR 482.58(a)(1)-(4) to allow hospitals to establish SNF swing beds payable under the SNF prospective payment system (PPS). This waiver provides additional options for hospitals with patients who no longer require acute care but are unable to find placement in a SNF.
The waiver includes an array of limitations on hospital use of the waiver including applying to the MACs for additional swing beds and attesting:
- they have made a good faith effort to exhaust all other options;
- there are no SNFs within the hospital’s catchment area that under normal circumstances would have accepted SNF transfers, but are currently not willing to accept or able to take patients because of the COVID-19 PHE;
- the hospital meets all waiver eligibility requirements; and
- they have a plan to discharge patients as soon as practicable, when a SNF bed becomes available, or when the PHE ends, whichever is earlier.
