Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 03/13/2024 10:27:06
• In: COVID-19

Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued fresh guidelines concerning COVID-19 vaccination for older adults. According to the latest recommendations, individuals aged 65 and above are advised to receive an additional updated dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for the years 2023-2024. These recommendations stem from the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which analyzed current data on vaccine efficacy and took into account the heightened risk of severe illness posed by COVID-19 in older populations.

The objective behind administering this supplementary vaccine dose is to bolster protection, which may have diminished since the previous fall vaccination, thereby mitigating the risk of serious illness, hospitalization, or mortality. Older adults are eligible for the additional vaccine dose four months after their last Moderna or Pfizer shot, or two months if they are immunocompromised. Additionally, the CDC offers further clinical insights to aid healthcare professionals in advising patients regarding the necessity of this extra vaccine dose.

For providers seeking guidance on vaccine updates and reimbursement policies, the AHCA/NCAL #getvaccinated website offers a range of free tools and resources.
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org
 

Hazardous Areas Compliance

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 03/07/2024 15:29:12
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

The Life Safety Code® mandates special protections for hazardous areas, including storage rooms, utility rooms, boiler rooms, workshops, and laundry areas. Compliance with these requirements remains a top concern nationally.

Existing hazardous areas prior to July 2016 must be enclosed with smoke-resistant construction if sprinkler-protected, with self-closing, positive-latching doors. Post-July 2016 constructions or those lacking sprinkler protection require 1-hour fire resistance rated enclosures and self-closing, positive-latching doors.

The pandemic's emphasis on personal protective equipment (PPE) has led to unintended consequences in Life Safety Code® compliance. Some organizations, mandated to stock significant PPE quantities, repurpose existing spaces, often creating new hazardous areas.

The code offers relief for converting existing spaces into storage areas under Chapter 43 - Building Rehabilitation. If the area is ≤250 sq ft, for storage, and fully sprinklered, a 1-hour enclosure isn't necessary.

This provision in Chapter 43 allows more flexibility in reallocating space for additional storage, essential as organizations maintain larger PPE stocks. All door provisions for hazardous areas remain applicable.
 
Staff Contact: mcarland@mehca.org

Are you interested in FREE IP training sessions?

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 03/07/2024 15:28:35
• In: Quality/Regulatory

Maine CDC is hoping IPs will participate in a short survey to see how many IPs would be interested in FREE training from APIC National. In order to hold a group training(s) there must be a certain number of individuals who have interest. We are asking that every IP fill out the survey even if you select the “not interested” categories. If you already filled it out, please disregard this email and thank you for your response!
 
Please complete survey by Friday March 8th.
 
Follow this link to fill out the survey: https://forms.office.com/g/zAYVJM3vLG  
 
If you have any issues please reach out to carrie.rice@maine.gov
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org

Are You Willing to Guide us Forward in Using CoreQ in PNMI-Cs

• By: Maureen Carland
• On: 03/07/2024 15:27:13
• In: Quality/Regulatory

In preparation for the implementation of a value-based payment model in the state of Maine, PNMI-Cs (Provider Network Management and Integration – Care) have the opportunity toengage in a pilot program utilizing CoreQ to gather Person-reported outcomes (PROs). These PROs are crucial for assessing patient and resident satisfaction within care settings.
Maine is actively seeking PNMI-Cs to join this initiative. Participation in the program offers the chance to receive $10,000 in support of efforts to enhance staff engagement, facilitate survey completion, and foster a commitment to delivering high-quality care to all residents in their facilities.

What's expected from you:

• A commitment of 12–15 months to the CoreQ implementation pilot.
• Attendance in educational webinars led by national experts specializing in delivering high-quality care in nursing and residential care facilities. Designation of one individual to coordinate the survey within your center.
• Dedication to assisting residents in completing satisfaction surveys, which will be conducted twice during the program.
• Receipt of reports from the CoreQ team summarizing survey results.
• Provision of feedback to the CoreQ team on the implementation of the survey within your facility, including suggestions for improvement.

For more information about this pilot, contact Lauren Michalakes at OADS at lauren.michalakes@maine.gov
 
Staff contact: mcarland@mehca.org

Update on Federal Legislation on CMS Staffing Minimum Proposal

• By: Ben Hawkins
• On: 03/07/2024 15:11:45
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

Legislation to block the federal minimum staffing proposal for nursing homes passed in the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee yesterday. The Protecting America’s Seniors’ Access to Care Act (H.R. 7513) was first introduced by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and would prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from finalizing the proposal.
There’s also a companion bill in the Senate. This bill was co-sponsored by our very own Senator King and Senator Collins. AHCA/NCAL led a coalition of more than 1,000 organizations urging support of the legislation. MHCA helped with this effort and special thanks to all members who signed onto this letter. 
 
Last week, Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, introduced legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a study on the risks of the proposed rule issued by CMS. Maine in particular has seen widespread nursing home closures. In the last 10 years, 23 facilities have permanently shut down, and another closure was announced just this week. Senator King said in a statement on the bill:

“It is one thing to create a policy tha?t looks good on paper, but it is quite another to examine the effects that policy has on the day-to-day lives of Maine veterans … While the CMS rule aims to improve the quality of long-term care for veterans by increasing staffing requirements, this one-size-fits-most policy could cause facilities in rural areas to shut down. This bill will allow us to take a closer look at the impact that the proposed CMS rule would have on VA and VA affiliated nursing homes so we can best protect access to long-term care options for veterans in Maine."

Read what Members of Congress, policy experts and long term care advocates are saying in opposition to the federal staffing mandate HERE.
 
Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org

MaineCare Provider Enrollment Progress Update

• By: Ben Hawkins
• On: 03/07/2024 15:10:48
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

The MaineCare third party enrollment vendor, Gainwell Technologies, continues to reduce the number of open cases and the time it takes to complete their steps within the enrollment process. Gainwell completed 711 enrollment cases in February and the average turnaround time for case completion was 31.3 days. Case inventory decreased to 537 by the end of February and the average system age of the case in inventory is approximately 20 days old.  Providers can help the process go more quickly by responding timely to information requests.

Additionally, OMS and Gainwell are sharing the following updates: There was a listening session held on January 17th. MHCA participated in this session and provided numerous suggestions for improvement of processing backlogged claims. To review a list of provider enrollment suggestions, click here. Also, a response to questions document can be found here. 

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org