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Archive January 2026

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Hospice Services Rate Determination Process Begins

Maine DHHS announced they will hold an online public meeting on February 12, 2026 at 9:30 AM to provide an overview of the rate determination process, present draft rates, and receive public comment for Section 43, Hospice Service providers. The Department will also receive written comments.

Meeting Details:
Hospice Services Rate Determination Kickoff and Draft Rates Presentation
Thursday, February 12, 2025, 9:30 AM – 11 AM ET

Zoom Information:
Link: Join from Zoom Workplace app or your browser  
Meeting ID: 816 2201 7911
Passcode: 94955924

For questions on this process, please contact  Louise Secordel, MaineCare’s Delivery System Reform Project Lead at: louise.secordel[at]maine.gov

Staff contact: awesthoff[at]mehca.org

AHCA Releases Nursing Home Work Force Report

Yesterday, the American Health Care Association (AHCA), the nation’s largest organization representing long term and post-acute care providers, released updated data showing that nursing homes continue to make progress in strengthening their workforce. The sector gained 40,700 jobs in 2025, and nursing turnover and agency use rates are declining. However, providers still have 26,500 fewer workers than they did when COVID hit the US in 2020.

While headed in the right direction, continued support from policymakers is needed to accelerate workforce efforts and keep pace with the growing aging population in the United States.

Staff contact: awesthoff[at]mehca.org

What Employers Need to Know About Paid Family Medical Leave

The Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Program (PFML) will be hosting a webinar February 18 from 12:30-1:30pm covering key provisions of the law, eligibility requirements, wage replacement rates, and right and responsibilities for employees and employers what employers need to know with the implementation of benefits. 
 
Details 
Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 
Time: 12:30-1:30pm 
To register: click here. 
Preregistration is required. 
If you have general questions regarding the webinar, please reach out to webinarregistration@maine.gov. (Please do not submit general questions about the PFML program to this email address.) 

Falls to be considered in SFF decision

CMS announced a change to how states select candidates for the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program, placing greater emphasis on resident fall rates. In  QSO-23-01-NH REVISED, CMS directed states to begin considering fall prevalence in addition to survey performance when identifying facilities for SFF designation. The revised guidance removes prior language that instructed state survey agencies to consider staffing ratings or staffing ratios as part of the selection process.

The QSO explains that this change follows findings from an Office of Inspector General report, which highlighted the seriousness of nursing home resident falls and the need to strengthen fall-prevention efforts. The memo notes that when state agencies are evaluating two potential SFF candidates with similar compliance histories, CMS recommends selecting the facility with the higher prevalence of falls.
 
Staff contact: mcarland[at]mehca.org

LD 2083

This week the Health and Human Services (HHS) committee held a public hearing on LD 2083 An Act to Expand Access to Certified Residential Medication Aide Training.  
When reviewing legislation, the most important question to ask is: what problem does this bill solve? If your average person can’t answer that question by reading the language of the bill as printed, then the bill likely needs some work.  
 
LD 2083 is a good example of a bill with language that does not easily identify a problem aimed at being solved.  
 
President/CEO of MHCA Angela Westhoff provided testimony on the bill, highlighting our concerns and offering am amendment to provide better clarity to the bill. You can watch the hearing here: 1-27-26 Committee On Health and Human Services, time stamp 1:00:48 

Long Stay Antipsychotic Measure Update

 As a reminder, with the next refresh, CMS will replace the existing long-stay antipsychotic medication quality measure with a respecified measure that incorporates Medicare and Medicaid claims data and Medicare Advantage encounter data to supplement MDS data.

Effective with the February 2026 (postponed from January) refresh, CMS will replace the existing long-stay antipsychotic medication quality measure with a respecified measure that incorporates Medicare and Medicaid claims data and Medicare Advantage encounter data to supplement MDS data.   Under this new measure it is expected the rate of LS antipsychotic rates will increase by 2-3%.   

The scoring cut points for this respecified measure will be set to place providers into 10 equal deciles based on the distribution of providers' performance. Please refer to CMS Memorandum QSO-25-20-NH REVISED for more information. Changes are identified in red, italicized text.

For more information also see the Five Star Users' Guide January 2026 (PDF)
 
Staff Contact: mcarland[at]mehca.org 

Free Webinar This Friday!

Employment Compliance and Legal Considerations When Hiring and Retaining New Mainers

Friday, January 30, 2026
9:00 - 10:30 AM

Virtual (Zoom)
$FREE


In this 90-minute webinar with immigration attorney Kate Drabecki, we will explore the more common employment and retention issues that come up when hiring new Mainers, including: I9, compliance and the various types of immigration statutes. 

 

Ms. Drabecki will also provide practical guidance on legal measures employers can consider as preparation for review by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

Click here for more details!

Staff Contact: mbooth[at]mehca.org 
 

Governor’s State of the State

ICYMI: Governor Mills presented her State of the State on Tuesday, January 26, watch a replay of the full broadcast here: Governor Mills' 2026 State of the State Address 
 

January Care Compare Refresh Postponed

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has identified an issue with one of the data files scheduled for the January 28, 2026, Nursing Home Care Compare refresh. As a result, new files will need to be reprocessed. To ensure data accuracy and quality, they will be postponing the January refresh of Nursing Home Care Compare to February 5, 2026. 
 
Staff Contact: mcarland[at]mehca.org
 

Regarding the Presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Maine

Regarding the Presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Maine 
 MHCA has been fielding numerous questions from members about preparing for and managing potential impact due to increased presence by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Maine.  
The information below is intended as informational and should not be construed as legal advice.  
Considerations in Preparation of Potential ICE visit: 
  • Review the September 2025 webinar titled Employment Compliance When Hiring and Supporting New Mainers, accessible here: Employment Compliance When Hiring and Supporting New Mainers 
    • This webinar was part of MHCA's series aimed at addressing workforce shortages by increasing the hiring of new Mainers and other linguistic minorities.  
    • Note: This webinar was recorded in September 2025 and may not address more current ICE related enforcement. 
       
  • Create a plan prior to ICE visits on how to manage an ICE visit. The plan may include designating a person to respond to the immediate contact with federal agents; a protocol for identifying who within the agency will be notified should ICE come to the center; clearly identifying public locations within the center; a plan to ensure the safety of residents and staff, keeping in mind infection control and HIPPA; etc.  
    Many organizations offer useful checklists to help facilities prepare, including:
  • Review your I-9 and compliance documents-- ensuring that staff documentation is well-organized and readily accessible.
     
  • Ensure there are staffing plans in place to manage callouts or staffing shortages as staff or their family may be directly or indirectly impacted by federal enforcement practices in various communities around the state. 
     
  • Direct resource information to all staff, so they're prepared, educated, and understand their legal rights and know how to plan accordingly should they or a family member be impacted.  
Many organizations provide educational material on this topic, including: 
In the Instance ICE is on Your Center's Property, consider: 
  • Ensuring the safety and security of staff and residents 
  • Do not obstruct, lie, interfere, or provide false information 
  • Before allowing any staff member to grant consent or access, ensure the proper administrative staff are contacted. 
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