#LAFL
Senate must ask tough questions on Medicaid payment reformBy Steve Bahmer
Medicaid payment reform for nursing homes is both necessary and complex. And done well, it should be the result of clear policy objectives, careful consideration, vigorous debate and detailed modeling. On behalf of our 250 members across Florida, we encourage the Senate Appropriations Committee to ask tough questions and thoroughly vet the new nursing home payment system it will consider.In reforming the payment system, it isn’t enough to implement a system that is cosmetically pleasing for a year or two. We need to look two or three years ahead to ensure that the quality of care in Florida nursing homes, which has improved dramatically over the last 30 years, remains as high as residents and their families deserve it to be.
It’s important to be clear: LeadingAge Florida supports the transition to a Prospective Payment System for nursing homes. We simply can’t support the system that has been proposed. And that’s because we’re looking two or three years ahead.
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Nursing Home Groups Continue Battle Over Medicaid Payments: As House and Senate spending committees prepare to debate their proposed spending plans, two nursing home associations held dueling press conferences Wednesday morning minutes apart addressing a potential change to how the state spends $3.5 billion on nursing home care. Leading Age Florida — which represents 250 long-term care communities, including nursing homes — wants to slow down the push to implement a prospective payment system contained in the Senate’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18. 
VIDEO: Nursing Home Operators Call Proposed Plan to Change Medicaid 'Scandalous': A plan to change how nursing homes are reimbursed from Medicaid has many nursing homes very upset. "It is truly scandalous," said Elliot Palevsky. Palevsky is CEO Emeritus of River Garden Senior Services. Fifty-two percent of its clients now receive Medicaid-state funding.
Nursing Homes: Bad Idea is Back Again: Bad ideas have a way of reappearing in Tallahassee, especially when someone stands to profit from them. In this case, an unfair new system of reimbursing nursing homes for care — once thought to be deferred — has reappeared in an even uglier costume. The Florida Health Care Association Medicaid Reimbursement Plan is scheduled to be heard by the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. The innocuous change — paying upfront for Medicaid payments — has been constructed in a way that would devastate many high quality nonprofit nursing homes. While the new plan ostensibly rewards quality, that’s mostly window dressing. 
Nursing Home Groups Battle Over Payment Plan: Two nursing-home industry groups sparred publicly Wednesday about a Senate plan that would revamp payments in the Medicaid program. LeadingAge Florida and the Florida Health Care Association held back-to-back news conferences in the Capitol as they battle over part of the Senate's proposed budget that includes what is known as a "prospective payment system" in Medicaid.
Florida Senate Budget Panel OKs Changes To Nursing Home Funding: Florida Senate budget chiefs Wednesday greenlit a spending plan that includes a new formula for reimbursing nursing homes. Opponents say the proposal would cut Medicaid dollars for top performing homes, while proponents argue it’ll result in a more equitable distribution of state funds.EXPERT OPINION
VIDEO: LeadingAge Florida, FLiCRA, & Nursing Home Advocates Urge Caution with Proposed PPS Plan
LeadingAge Florida and Florida Life Care Residents Association (FLiCRA) were joined by advocates of nursing homes from around the state today at a press conference to voice concern over a prospective payment system (PPS) plan that is being considered by the Florida Senate.
Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a budget that includes the Prospective Payment System proposed by the Florida Health Care Association. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration next week.The House, as you know, did not include a PPS plan in its budget, so the next likely opportunity for this to get resolved is when House members and Senators meet in conference to reconcile the differences in their budgets.
Although the budget passed, as expected, with the PPS plan in it, LeadingAge Florida members and residents of our member communities made it clear to the committee that there is no consensus on this plan. Elliott Palevsky of River Garden, Board Member Rob Goldstein from Menorah Manor, and Marie Cowart, a Westminster Oaks resident, testified to their concerns about the impacts the plan will have on our communities and their residents. It is notable that LeadingAge Florida is the only association to have invited residents to participate in this debate.
We were also joined by new members Catholic Health Services, our friends at the Florida Life Care Residents Association, Board Member Lisa Lyons, and our partners at CliftonLarsonAllen, in addition to nearly 20 residents from Westminster Oaks. In all, it was a very strong showing on behalf of high-quality providers who are concerned about the impacts of the plan.
I’d like to thank the rest of our members around the state as well, who called and emailed their Senators to urge caution on this issue – I spoke with many of you personally, and I appreciate your willingness to engage on such short notice. We aren’t done fighting – so please keep up the energy and momentum. Our message is getting through because of your hard work. And please be on the lookout for additional calls to action in the next few days.
Our message is also getting through in the media. We held a press conference Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations Hearing and clearly explained many of the flaws in the PPS plan. My thanks again to Kip Corriveau from Bon Secours, Rob Goldstein, and Ramsey Geyer, a resident at Westminster Woods on Julington Creek and a FLiCRA Board Member, all of whom spoke at the press conference.
Click here to see a clip of the press conference, and please circulate this video to your colleagues, friends, board members, legislators and others via email and social media. We need to continue to communicate the full truth about this PPS plan.
In addition to our press conference, we’ve generated significant attention among the political blogs, traditional media outlets, and via social media. To access the coverage on this issue, click here. Please also share these items with your networks and your legislators to be sure they know there is no consensus on this plan.
Thank you for your engagement and support on this important issue. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions, or for help in arranging meetings with your legislators. Together, we will continue to fight this – we truly appreciate your help.
Westminster Communities of Florida Sign Letters in Opposition to PPS!Over the past week, Westminster Communities of Florida have been writing letters to State Legislators voicing their concerns regarding the risky Prospective Payment System proposal found in the Florida Senate's version of the state budget.
CLICK HERE to replicate the efforts of Westminster Communities of Florida and start your own letter writing campaign. Please reach out to your legislators, along with members of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee voicing your opinion. Ask House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee to hold the line and continue their steadfast opposition to PPS.For a list of targeted legislators, CLICK HERE. 
Bill is Regulatory OverreachBy John M. Hehn, Jr., Executive Director, Florida Presbyterian Homes
How to be the Best of the Best Series - Restorative CareReach out to LeadingAge Florida's Clinical & Compliance Specialist, Connie Cheren, RN, MSW at (678) 778-0561 or via ccheren@LeadingAgeFlorida.org. Connie is available to all members as a value-added service, paid for by LeadingAge Florida, to help answer questions before, during and after surveys! She can help nursing home and assisted living facility members improve regulatory compliance and clinical outcomes and offer suggestions about survey results and corrective plans of action.
April
19 - Healthcare Marketing: Strategies for Boosting Your Census Webinar: Learn how to bypass the typical gatekeepers of the healthcare world by targeting key referral sources directly. This session focuses on reaching adult children and referral sources utilizing digital tools and techniques such as carefully designed websites, search engine optimization, pay-for-click advertising, LinkedIn advertising, Facebook cloning, and remarketing.
20 - How to Launch New Technology to Your Residents Webinar: Launching new technology is the key to keeping your community vibrant and at the forefront of the senior living industry. In this webinar, we’ll do a deep dive session on to how to successfully launch new technology to residents and staff, along with tips on Touchtown Community Apps.
25 & 26 - 2017 Affordable Housing Conference: This conference features educational sessions for staff of Affordable Housing Communities, PRACs, Home and Community-Based Services. 
26 - Staffing: Analyzing 5-Star Data and Applying QAPI Principles Webinar: You will learn how the staffing rating is calculated and how it impacts your overall 5-Star rating. Tips on how to analyze your data and develop plans to achieve 5-Star status will be discussed, along with application of the elements of QAPI to improve facility 5-Star Ratings and improve staff retention.May
8 & 9 - Infection Prevention and Control Workshop: Our expert will explain the regulations surrounding an Infection Prevention and Control Program within a long-term care community. This workshop is specifically designed to educate those having control and oversight of the Infection Prevention and Control Program.
17 - The Evolving Post-Acute Care Market: Strategies for Staying Competitive Webinar: This webinar provides an overview of the evolving landscape and offers three strategies (and an emerging fourth) to confront it head-on, protect market share and emerge among the winners.
31 - Pain: Analyzing 5-Star Quality Measures and Applying QAPI Principles Webinar: This session reviews how the measures are calculated and how they impact your overall Five-Star Quality Rating. The session will focus on best practices for pain management to improve your pain quality measures using a QAPI framework.June
21 - Pressure Ulcers: Analyzing 5-Star Quality Measures and Applying QAPI Principles Webinar: This webinar will review the pressure ulcer quality measures that impact the Quality Measure component of the Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Rating system. 
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Team McChord kicks off AFAF ‘17 benefitting Air Force Enlisted Village 
Join Our Webinar On Federal Grant Compliance Best Practices, May 4Provided by CliftonLarsonAllen
Where did $1.3 billion for affordable housing go? Florida Legislature took it.By Mary Ellen Klas
2017 Affordable Housing ConferenceOmni Jacksonville Hotel
April 25 & 26, 2017
LeadingAge Florida member rate is $250 and prospective member rate is $350. After April 17, 2017 the rates will increase by $50. Includes lunch and up to 10 contact hours of training, including educational materials and a certificate of attendance.
Nursing Homes, Hospice Dropped from 'CON' RepealBy Jim Saunders
Nomination of Candidates to Fill Open Positions on LeadingAge Florida's Board of TrusteesBy Dawn Jimenez
Infection Prevention and Control WorkshopSunnyside Village
May 8 & 9, 2017
LeadingAge has Productive Meeting with CMS Administrator
Apply Now to Leadership Academy for Effective Leadership DevelopmentLeadingAge Florida Business Members - Spotlight On:
Cable | TV | Internet | Phone
The goal at LeadingAge Florida is to deliver the highest quality of service to our membership. LeadingAge Florida strives to increasing value and return on investment for all involved. As a weekly feature, we highlight business members by specialty to remind providers about the businesses available for them. We hope you will consider these businesses for a current or upcoming project.• GreatCall
• Senior TV
• VCTV, Inc.
Westminster Communities of Florida Sign 247 Letters in Opposition to PPS!Over the past week, Westminster Communities of Florida resident have been writing letters to State Legislators voicing their concerns regarding the risky Prospective Payment System proposal found in the Florida Senate's version of the state budget.
Please reach out to your legislators, along with members of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee voicing your opinion. Our message is simple: This plan DOES NOT have consensus among nursing home providers and would negatively impact quality nursing homes across the State of Florida. Ask House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee to hold the line and continue their steadfast opposition to PPS.
Housing Action Alert: Section 202 Funding at Risk: Funding for HUD affordable housing programs is at risk of being funded at 2016 levels.
Registration is Open for Affordable Housing Conference: Join us for a 1 ½ day intensive conference that provides exposure to national experts, leading edge information and opportunities for shared learning with peers. This conference is an exclusive standalone event for Housing Communities.
Board of Trustee Leadership Opportunities Available: Are you interested in a leadership role with LeadingAge Florida? The deadline to submit a nomination form to become a candidate for the Board of Trustees Election is Friday, April 21, 2017.
Call for Nominations: The LeadingAge Florida Annual Awards Program honors those who embody excellence in leadership, care, service innovation, and who are making outstanding contributions to their communities in the field of long-term care, affordable and supportive housing, retirement housing, assisted living or home and community-based services.Nursing Home Alert: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released Survey and Certification Letter No. S&C: 17-23-NH/HHA/CLIA, dated Mar. 31, 2017.Actions Taken by the House Health and Human Services Committee: The House Health and Human Services Committee passed a proposed committee bill (17-03) which includes a provision that worries supporters of the Florida Health Care Association’s Prospective Payment System plan: the ability for the managed care plans to negotiate directly with nursing homes to set reimbursement rates.
LeadingAge Florida's Weekly Educational & Professional Development Correspondence: LeadingAge Florida is dedicated to providing you with the finest educational and networking experience possible. Whether through advocacy, education, or networking. Register now to be part of this year's convention. 
Week Four Recap of the 2017 Session: This is our weekly Legislative Update/Recap report that will continue through the end of Session.
LeadingAge Florida Seeks Mobile App Sponsors!: Are you involved in aging and senior services in Florida? There is an App for that. And LeadingAge Florida is seeking sponsors for this unique and innovative opportunity. 
We Are Now Accepting Applications to Exhibit at our 54th Annual Convention: Join us at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate! The exposition dates are July 17 & 18. The convention theme is Power of Purpose. Advertisement Opportunity - 2017 Membership Directory: LeadingAge Florida is pleased to announce that E&M Consulting will be the official publisher of our 2017 Membership Directory. E&M Consulting provides advertising services that build your company’s image and link your brand with buyers in the Florida aging services industry. 
Copyright 2017 — Publication of LeadingAge FloridaChairman: Josh Ashby
President/CEO: Steve Bahmer
Managing Editor: Greg Ungru
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