Greetings!

This message includes:
  • the latest update to the county positivity data file;
  • sample policies and procedures provided by Melissa Green on conducting testing and use of the BD Veritor and Abbott tests;
  • resources from Abbott about the BinaxNOW™ tests; and
  • resources to help you understand coverage and payment for testing.
 
I also wanted to mention there are some very good courses in the Virtual Convention and Trade Show, including a live session next Wednesday led by the Chiles Healthcare Consulting team on survey outcomes related to infection control regulations. Register now so you can get all the login details and have until October 29 to watch all the sessions.

Sincerely,

April Payne, MBA, LNHA
Vice President of Quality Improvement | Director of VCAL
Virginia Health Care Association | Virginia Center for Assisted Living 
CMS Count Positivity Date File Updated Today

CMS has updated the Excel file that flags COVID-19 positive test rates in counties on the COVID-19 Nursing Home Data webpage in the COVID-19 Testing section. The newest file includes data from September 3 – September 16. VHCA-VCAL has posted a Virginia specific file.
 
As a reminder, last week CMS modified the method for classifying a county as green, yellow, or red and expanded the measure to cover results over a 14-day period in each county instead of seven days. As a result, facilities should be using the color assigned by CMS, not the positivity rate.
 
The revised methodology results in some red counties with rates >10% being reclassified to yellow:
  • Green = Counties with test percent positivity <5.0% or with <20 tests in past 14 days
  • Yellow = Counties with test percent positivity 5.0%-10.0%; OR with <500 tests and <2,000 tests/100k and >10% positivity over 14 days
  • Red = >10.0% and not meeting the criteria for “Green” or “Yellow”
 
Facilities should monitor these rates every other week and adjust staff testing accordingly.
Sample Testing Policies and Procedures

Chief Clinical Officer of Trio-Health Care, LLC Melissa Green has generously shared the following policies and procedures to assist everyone with testing
 
Resources for the Abbott BinaxNOW Test

Following the webinar HHS and Abbott hosted last week on the BinxaNOW™ tests for assisted living facilities, Abbott has shared the following useful links and critical contact information:
 
Useful Links
  • For access to training videos and documents, please visit the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card and NAVICA™ App Set-Up and Training portal.
  • For CLIA FAQs and information, click here.
  • For policy regarding performance of antigen tests authorized by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) at the point of care or in patient care settings operating under a CLIA Certificate of Waiver, please refer to CMS’s policy here and PREP Act guidance here.
  • For FDA recommendations to health care providers who are ordering authorized tests outside their authorization (e.g., antigen tests for asymptomatic individuals), please see FDA’s FAQ on Testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Contact Information
  • Report shipping issues / order quality concerns to Abbott at: [email protected]
  • For technical usage questions about the BinaxNOW™ test, contact Abbott technical support directly at [email protected] or (800) 257-9525
  • For all other questions related to your distribution, please contact [email protected], this inbox was established to coordinate the distribution of government procured Abbott BinaxNOW™ kits. This inbox should not be used to request kits for facilities not currently receiving these tests.
Payment Resource for COVID-19 Testing

CMS has released information to help states, nursing facilities, and other providers better understand the sources of Medicare and Medicaid coverage and payment for COVID-19 testing. Among the resources is the Coverage and Payment for COVID-19 Testing in Nursing Facilities flow chart, which details testing coverage for nursing facility residents. AHCA/NCAL has developed a summary of this resource.
Upcoming Events

September 29 – October 29, 2020
Quick Links
www.vhca.org | (804) 353-9101 | Calendar of Events