The cost of liability
continues to increase for the long term care profession, according to the
findings of an analysis released today by the American Health Care Association
(AHCA) and Aon Global Risk Consulting, the risk consulting business of Aon plc
(NYSE:AON). The overall national long term care loss rate is expected to grow
by 5 percent annually, with claim frequency driving the increase at an expected
3 percent growth rate.
The 13th published edition
of the Aon/AHCA 2015 Long Term Care General
Liability and Professional Liability Actuarial Analysis provides estimates of loss rates, or the cost of
liability to skilled nursing care centers on a per-bed basis. The projected
national 2016 loss rate, which is a combination of claim severity and
frequency, is expected to increase from $2,030 to $2,150 per occupied bed. This
means that a nursing center with 100 occupied beds can expect approximately
$215,000 in liability expenses in 2016.
You can read the full press release here.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Top Resources for Quality Award Applicants
The 2016
AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Intent to Apply deadline has just passed. Most
applicants have likely been working on their application for the past few
months; but for those who haven’t started, the time to get started is now!
If you need a jump start, than you have come to the right place. The Quality Award website has a number of resources designed to help facilities with the application process. Whether you are writing a Bronze, Silver or Gold application this year; there is something for you! Learn more by clicking here.
Mark Your Calendars – AHCA’s 2016 ID/DD Hill Fly-In Date Set!
If you would like to attend, please contact AHCA’s Senior Director of Not for Profit & Constituent Services, Dana Halvorson. If you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to let Dana know. AHCA hopes to see you at this important event!
NFP Grassroots Advocacy
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 114th Congress, second session, can be found here. The U.S. Senate schedule for 2016 can be
found here. The dates in blue 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
This 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.
We’ve Got You Covered! AHCA/NCAL Insurance Solutions Website
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
-
Health Tip: You May Not Have to Give Up Dessert - healthfinder.gov
- Health Tip: Enjoy Heart-Healthy Holiday Foods – healthfinder.gov
- Health Tip: Learn About Processed Foods – healthfinder.gov
- Too Much Sitting Hurts Heart Patients' Health – healthfinder.gov
- Health Tip: Who Gets Pneumonia? – healthfinder.gov
- Tips from IRS for Year-End Gifts to Charity – irs.gov
- Identity Theft Tax Tips Available; Special Series to Help Taxpayers Available Through January – irs.gov
Legislative and Agency Corner
- Bill To Help Improve Access, Availability of Rural Health Care Introduced in the House – longtermcareleader.com
- CMS Two-Midnight Rule and Comment Period – longtermcareleader.com
- Assisted Living Conversion Program – longtermcareleader.com
- Be Sure to
Carefully Read New VA Contracts Before Signing Them – longtermcareleader.com
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.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will also be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, December 16, entitled, “LTSS in Indian Country: The 2014 Survey of ACL Title VI Program Participants.” You may register here.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will also be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, December 16, entitled, “LTSS in Indian Country: The 2014 Survey of ACL Title VI Program Participants.” You may register here.
Association Launches New Learning Management Website
"We created ahcancalED for our members
who do not have the time or budget to develop the newest in-service
training," said Dr. David Gifford, AHCA/NCAL Senior Vice President of
Quality and Regulatory Affairs. "Our objective also was to provide the
best and latest educational tools, especially as CMS increases its regulatory
requirements about staff training and competency in a number of areas.
ahcancalED is designed to help individuals in our profession do a better job of
caring for patients and residents and advance in their careers."
The information on ahcancalED is structured
to make the online learning experience engaging, meaningful, and
interactive for users. The fresh graphics and clearly defined sections within
the site make it easy for users to navigate and find the information they need.
The site also allows users to track their own learning progress.Teams of experts from around the country working with AHCA/NCAL staff helped to create the content. "We will constantly be adding new programs and materials so that we can keep the site fresh and dynamic," said Gifford. "We'll continue to look for new ways the site can grow and serve our members. It's a great value-added benefit and a tangible example of our commitment to enhancing quality."
ahcancalED can be accessed at https://educate.ahcancal.org/. Suggestions for content or other site enhancements can be submitted to the ahcancalED team at educate@ahca.org. AHCA/NCAL welcomes ideas that will help improve quality and strengthen the knowledge, skills and attitudes of staff in the long term and post-acute care community.
The Professional’s Pledge
He goes on to note, “To be professional is what I am called to be. To take pride in my work is what I am called to do. Henceforth, I will always do more than is expected of me. I will not rely on my mood of the day to dictate how I go about my work. Like the wind, my mood will shift. Consistency can not…must not shift. And professionals are consistent.” 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. |
From the Blog of Josh Linkner
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 2016 Events
-
AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit – February 9 – 11, 2016
- AHCA’s ID/DD Hill Fly-In Event – March 1, 2016
- AHCA/NCAL Independent Owner Leadership Conference – March 16 – 18, 2016
2015 and 2016 Health Care Observances
The 2015 AHCA/NCAL
Health Care Observances Calendar can be found here, which includes
observances for the month of December. January 2016 marks, among other observances, Glaucoma Awareness
Month,
National Blood Donor Month, and Thyroid Awareness Month.
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