Momentum Building in RoP Comment Campaign

AHCA has launched a major grassroots initiative in which it is encouraging members to submit individual comments to CMS regarding the proposed rule on Requirements of Participation. The Association believes that the proposed rule goes too far, demands changes too quickly, costs too much and allows Washington to micromanage the profession's basic functions. The goal of AHCA's campaign is for CMS to receive thousands of comment letters from members in order to impress upon CMS how burdensome this new regulation would be for skilled nursing care centers.

To make it easy for people to participate in the campaign and to help them directly and easily submit comments to CMS, AHCA has created a dedicated webpage. The webpage includes suggested topics for commenting, instructions for filing a comment, and a link to the filing site. The webpage has recently been refreshed with new content, including a video from AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Mark Parkinson discussing the Association's efforts. In addition, there are new sample comment letters on the webpage. There also is a link to a side-by-side comparison of the proposed and current regulations. The webpage can be accessed here or directly from the AHCA website by clicking on the "SNF Requirements of Participation" link under the "Facility Resources" tab.

AHCA encourages anyone with an interest in the well-being of our nation's frail and elderly to join the growing number of people who are submitting comments to CMS regarding the proposed rule on Requirements of Participation.

The Association provides the following guidelines for submitting a comment:

· Your comment does not need to be very long. A meaningful paragraph about how the proposed rule will affect you, your patients and your residents will have significant impact.

· The more personalized you can make your comment, the better. Use your own circumstances and your own examples to drive home your message.

· As you are preparing your comment, be sure to keep the focus on the beneficiaries -- your patients and residents -- rather than on your business or operational results. That will get CMS to pay attention.

· Submit your comment on behalf of yourself rather than your company or other third party. Please do not submit your comment on behalf of AHCA or your state association.

· You can submit your comment electronically or by regular mail. The AHCA website provides the link for electronic submission and the address for regular mail.

· Be sure to submit your comment prior to the September 14, 2015 deadline.

 · Log your comment by clicking the link on the dedicated AHCA webpage so that AHCA can keep track of how many comments have been submitted.

A Work Always in Progress

CARC Inc. is the 2015 AHCA/NCAL Awards recipient for the Not for Profit (NFP) Program of the Year award for its community benefit program called the “Work Services Program” (WSP), which provides opportunities and support for people with special needs to find employment in the Carlsbad, New Mexico community.

“The WSP identifies employment needs of the community and integrates its clients into that environment,” according to CARC CEO Mark Schinnerer. “It’s a stepping stone for individuals to develop good work habits and learn social skills.”

 Listen to one satisfice local business: “The clients of CARC Inc. perform landscaping services for the bank under the direction of a coordinating supervisor, always performing in an above satisfactory manner,” said EVP of Carlsbad National Bank Chris A. Bird. Other supervised operations for the community include Rainbow Recycling, Document Destruction, running a country store, landscaping and even operating a large farm to supply a local processing plant with pecans to sell nationwide.

 West Jordan’s Board President, Carolyn Olson, feels “The best part of the program is the satisfaction of the clients when they receive their paychecks. Words cannot explain the pride and self-worth clients gain from their employment.” The next career step in CARC’s “career ladder” is the Supported Employment Program where clients have greater autonomy and earning potential.  

 The 2015 NFP Program of the Year award will be presented at the AHCA/NCAL Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX, October 4 to 7, 2015.

Living the Mission: A Day for NFP Providers

The third annual day for NFP providers will be held during AHCA/NCAL's 66th Annual Convention & Expo in San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday, October 6. This constituency education program for NFP providers is packed with motivational and educational speakers, including CMS and HUD. Lee Ellis (pictured), President and founder of Leadership Freedom® LLC, is our keynote speaker and is a popular media personality and high-profile human performance expert. Lee focuses on organizational integrity, operational effectiveness and personal accountability for enterprise, government and NFP leaders.

A prolific writer, blogger and thought leader, Lee's latest award-winning book, Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, shares his POW experience and the 14 leadership principles that helped him and his compatriots resist, survive, and return with honor. Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend the NFP reception, which will cap the day off.

For a complete list of education sessions included in this program go to our Education Session Full Schedule.  If you have any questions about this exciting event, please contact AHCA's Senior Director for NFP & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson, at dhalvorson@ahca.org.

NFP Grassroots Advocacy

Steven Chies, AHCA’s NFP Council Chair, encourages AHCA’s NFP providers to participate in our grassroots advocacy efforts in 2015.  AHCA would like to help you get facility tours and in-district meetings set up over future recess days.  Please provide your name, facility address, and email address and we will craft the invite and send it to you to send to the Congressional office.  The four brief steps for a successful facility tour visit can be found here.  Please feel free to contact Matthew Smyth and Dana Halvorson who can help you with all of the logistics.

AHCA’s NFP Council member, Van Moore (pictured to the right), meets with Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR-2, pictured on the left) at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles.  Van discussed with the Congressman issues impacting AHCA/NCAL members, including the observation stays issue. 

NFPs Engaging in the Political Process

For more information on how NFPs can engage in the political process, please review this webinar and handout from Wiley Rein, LLP.  Both documents will give members of 501(c) 3 tax exempt organizations an overview of what they can and cannot do in regards to lobbying and political activity.  For issue briefs, talking points and more, visit AHCA’s advocacy page.

U.S. Congressional Calendars

As you are planning your visits with members of Congress and their staff in Washington, D.C., or in your district, the Congressional calendars will be of assistance to you. The U.S. House of Representatives calendar for the 114^th Congress, first session, can be found here. The U.S. Senate schedule for the new Congress can be found here. The dates in black reference the times the U.S. Senate is in session.  The red dates represent when the U.S. Senate is in recess. 

AHCA/NCAL Advocacy App

If you haven’t already heard about it, then we wanted to alert you to a great app that allows you to keep abreast of AHCA advocacy efforts.  Among other things, it provides important talking points, issue briefs and features that allow you to take action.  It will be useful not only to you, but serves as a great way for providers to weigh in.  You can get the app by clicking on the appropriate black box below.

 

Download our advocacy app!

   

AHCA’s State of the States Clearinghouse

AHCA members have access to key Medicaid and Medicare information through the State of the States Clearinghouse.  The AHCA State of the States Clearinghouse is a one stop shop for key Medicaid and Medicare information impacting the long term care profession.   

This new resource provides valuable data, including:

·         Overview of the demographic landscape;

·         State-specific nursing center occupancy and ownership breakouts; 

·         Certificate of Need requirements for nursing centers and state licensure requirements; 

·         State data on the cost of care for long term services and supports;  

·         State data on the total number of Medicare enrollees; 

·         Data on state Medicare Advantage plan enrollees and comparisons to the national average; 

·         State and national Medicaid expenditure data;

·         State Medicaid rates, costs and shortfalls;

·         And other significant state-specific data related to payment structure, managed long term services and home and community based services coverage.

AHCA will continue to provide the most up-to-date information through the Clearinghouse and share new data/resources as they become available.  Also be sure to visit the AHCA Medicaid Page to learn more about the program and to access additional AHCA members-only Medicaid resources.

We’ve Got You Covered! AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions Website

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) now offers a variety of comprehensive insurance programs to meet your business needs. Backed by the strength of our membership, AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions programs are designed with exclusive member savings and discounts for both the fully-insured or self-insured members.

The program offers health insurance options, group and voluntary benefit packages, an aggressive Stop-Loss insurance program as well as cloud based HR platforms that will help members achieve savings and greater efficiencies on HR services within your company, while also tracking and reporting on key Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements.  For more information, please contact AHCA’s Dave Kyllo at dkyllo@AHCA.org and visit the AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions website.  

Articles and Resources of Interest

• Top Distinction in Quality Care Earned by Four Long Term and Post-Acute Care Providers – ahcancal.org
• Antipsychotic Use Continues to Decrease Among Long-Stay Nursing Home Residents, CMS Report Shows – ahcancal.org
• AHCA/NCAL Statement on the 50th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid – ahcancal.org
• Dr. Alice Bonner Named 2015 Champion of Quality Award Recipient – ahcancal.org
• Long Term Care Honorees Announced – ahcancal.org
• National Quality Organization Endorses Profession’s Key Quality Indicators – ahcancal.org
• Health Tip: Eat Responsibly – healthfinder.gov
• 1 in 4 Senior Women in U.S. Has Osteoporosis: CDC – healthfinder.gov
• As Baby Boomers Age, Alzheimer's Rates Will Soar – healthfinder.gov
• Will Good Students Be Able to Sidestep Alzheimer's? – healthfinder.gov
• Exercise May Buffer Symptoms of Early Alzheimer's – healthfinder.gov
• High Blood Sugar May Boost Alzheimer's Risk – healthfinder.gov
• Alzheimer’s Caregiving Tips: Traveling Overnight – NIA.NIH.gov
• Brain Health: You Can Make a Difference! – ACL.gov

Legislative and Agency Corner

• Thune Bill Would Improve Access, Availability of Rural Health Care – ahcancal.org
• Senate Unanimously Passes NOTICE Act – ahcancal.org
• AHCA/NCAL Welcomes Nomination of Andy Slavitt for CMS Administrator – ahcancal.org
• HUD Launches Resource Locator App – HUD.gov
• FHA Announces New Lender Performance Measure to Expand Credit Access to More Eligible Borrowers – HUD.gov
• Statement from Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee on Senate passage of Older Americans Act Reauthorization – HHS.gov

Webinars of Interest

Stay informed and tune in to AHCA/NCAL-hosted pre-recorded and live webinars on a number of topics impacting the long term care profession. 

On Sept. 17, 2015, between 2-3:30pm ET, AHCA will host a webinar entitled, “Strategies for Addressing Workplace Violence in Healthcare Facilities and Ensuring Compliance with OSHA’s New Guidelines.”  Healthcare workers face an increased risk of workplace violence in their work and data suggests that 70% of workplace assaults occur in the healthcare industry.  In response, OSHA recently released an update to its Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers and it has indicated that it will focus on the hazards associated with workplace violence in all healthcare industry inspections.  The publication includes suggested best practices and provides some insight on how to reduce the risk of violence in various healthcare and social service settings.  Attend our webinar to learn about the new OSHA guidelines and strategies that can help you successfully address the unique challenges that the healthcare industry faces in tackling this workplace challenge.  You can register for the webinar here. 

In addition, on Tuesday, September 1, 2015, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET, the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center will hold a webinar entitled Dementia Friendly Communities on “creating communities that are safe and respectful, provide support, and work toward quality of life for people living with dementia and their families.  Webinar participants will learn about key concepts related to Dementia Friendly Communities and hear from community leaders putting these concepts into action.”  You can register for the webinar here.  

Service Excellence: I Can't Imagine a World Without

According to Dr. Bryan K. Williams, “If a grocery store can win a Forbes 5-Stars rating, this store would be it. It’s one thing to be exceptional, and it’s another to be consistently exceptional. MOM’s Organic Store in the Washington DC Metro Area is just that; Consistently Exceptional. I can honestly say that every business can learn from the workplace and service culture that MOM’s cultivates.”  He goes on to note a “few key points that MOM’s excels at (and all organizations can emulate).”  Dr. Williams also states in this blog, “Don’t let job titles or department names get in the way of learning as much as you can about where you work.”  To read the full blog posting, please click here. 

Dr. Williams is a consultant, trainer, and author, who focuses on the areas of service excellence and organizational effectiveness.  He has spoken at numerous AHCA/NCAL events, and his passion is to serve others so they may better serve the world.  Here is a link where you can see some of Dr. Williams’ book recommendations on service, leadership and personal development.

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) holds a monthly call or webinar concerning topics of interest to those who work in the field of aging and disability.  One of the past calls focused on resources for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their caregivers.  Information about future calls, and audio recording of previous ones, can be found here.

Upcoming 2015 Events

• The National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference - Aug 31- Sept 3, 2015
• AHCA/NCAL’s Annual Convention & Expo in San Antonio, TX - October 4 - 7, 2015
• AHCA/NCAL’s NFP Day at Convention - October 6, 2015

2015 Health Care Observances

The 2015 AHCA/NCAL Health Care Observances Calendar can be found here.  September marks, among other observances, National Cholesterol Education Month, National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and National Preparedness Month.