Greetings!

This morning we have the following updates for you:

This and all our past updates are included on our COVID-19 Resources webpage.

Sincerely,

April Payne, LNHA

Vice President of Quality Improvement | Director of VCAL

Virginia Health Care Association | Virginia Center for Assisted Living 

CDC Call on PPE Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE

CDC will host a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call that will focus on PPE optimization strategies. The call will take place today, Wednesday, March 25, 2020 from 2:00–3:00 pm. Presenters will discuss strategies for healthcare facilities to optimize PPE supplies such as eye protection, isolation gowns, facemasks, and N95 respirators. Advanced registration is not required.

Due to the high demand, CDC is encouraging participants consider viewing the call on Facebook Live . If you are unable to attend, the call will be available for viewing on COCA’s Facebook page a few hours after the live event ends. If you have questions or would like to learn more about the COCA Call , email [email protected] .

In addition, the COCA call on Underlying Medical Conditions and People at Higher Risk for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is postponed to March 27, 2020 at 2:00 pm. 

PPE Donations

We are hearing from some of you that some facilities are running dangerously low on PPE. We also know many local health care coalitions have very limited or no supplies to share. As a result, some facilities are making calls for public donations and many communities are responding in kind to the extent they can.

 

If you choose to do so, AHCA/NCAL has developed a template to serve as a call for donations. You could share this call for supplies with your staff and contacts in your community and ask for them to share the word as well. Many organizations are using social media to promote these calls for donations.

 

(And as we mentioned yesterday, through our partnership with HPSI, you can use the HPSI COVID-19 Rapid Response form for assistance sourcing products. Please note: some products are unfortunately not available anywhere.)

Hospital Admissions Guidance

AHCA/NCAL has updated its  Interim Guidance: Accepting Admissions from Hospitals During COVID-19 Pandemic regarding accepting hospital discharges during COVID-19 pandemic to include assisted living communities.

It is important to note that the decision-making and guidance will likely change as the prevalence of COVID-19 varies in communities and hospital surge increases in the community.

COVID-19 HUD Update

The Office of Healthcare Programs for the Federal Housing Administration has put together a questions and answers document for external stakeholders around COVID-19. This document addresses questions such as whether the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Office of Healthcare Programs is cancelling or postponing inspections or other site visits in the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case at a HUD-insured facility and what steps owners and operators should take to protect residents, staff, and the community. HUD knows long term care providers are looking for supplemental Q&As, and is working on them daily.

Template Letter to Health Plans and

Accountable Care Organizations Requesting Relief 

As AHCA previously reported, health plans have announced , and CMS is allowing Medicare Advantage plans flexibilities   to offer relief to patients and providers specific to COVID-19-related services. However, due to the extraordinary efforts SNF providers are taking to care for all residents, AHCA is providing a template letter to ask Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) for further relief from administrative burdens including all prior authorizations, all pre- and post-payment reviews, excessive documentation requests, and payment delays.

Similarly, AHCA is providing a template letter to use with Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to request a reduction in documentation requests, loosening of utilization management strategies and effective communication and partnership on COVID-19 patients. To use the letters, download the document(s) and include the MCO’s or ACO’s name and SNF’s contact information where indicated, and send the letter to the provider or contract representative at the MCO or ACO.