LeadingLINK Vol. 19 Issue 19

Two LeadingAge Florida Initiated Bills sent to Governor – The two LeadingAge Florida initiated bills, HB 249 - Relating to Public Lodging and HB 787- Nursing Home Alternatives, were delivered to the Governor on April 13. He has 15 days to act on these bills or let them become law without his signature. We expect both of these bills to become law and we will keep you posted on their progress.

In addition, as of April 12, 2012, the following bills of interest to LeadingAge Florida members have been approved by the Governor:

Budget Compromise Favorable for Long-term Care Providers - The Appropriations Bill and related implementing and conforming bills, which include HB5001, HB5003, and HB5301, were signed into law by the Governor. As we mentioned earlier in our 2012 Legislative Session Wrap-Up, there were no surprises. There is a cut of 1.25 % for nursing homes, which should be offset by an inflation index and additional revenues produced by the increase in the federal Medicaid match percentage (FMAP) rate. The net effect of these two factors is a slight increase, perhaps as much as $2, in nursing home per diems for FY 2012-13.

Alzheimer’s Adult Day Care Act- SB 694 by Sen. Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey) - This new law provides educational and experience requirements for the operators of adult day care centers seeking licensing to provide specialized Alzheimer's services. It also specifies requirements for admission into such adult day care centers. The effective date is July 1, 2012.

Medicaid Managed Care CS/SB 730 by Senate Health Regulation Committee and Senators Flores (R-Miami) - The new law will limit the scope of the Subscriber Assistance Program, which provides assistance to subscribers of certain managed care entities who have grievances that have not been resolved by the internal grievance process of the managed care entity. The effective date is May 12, 2012.

Pharmacist Allowed to Give Other Vaccinations HB 509 by House Health and Human Services and others - This law will allow pharmacists to give pneumonia shots. Also, pharmacists will be able to give vaccinations for shingles if doctors write prescriptions. The new law also requires pharmacists to take continuing-education courses administered by a physicians' association. The effective date is July 1, 2012.

LeadingAge Florida General News

Background Screening Revisions Approved By the Governor – On Friday, HB 943 by Rep. Doug Holder (R-Sarasota), a companion bill to SB 320 by Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon), was approved by the Governor.

In 2010, the Legislature substantially rewrote the requirements and procedures for background screening for individuals and businesses that deal primarily with vulnerable populations. In 2011, the Legislature passed CS/SB 1992, which further implemented the 2010 legislation, however, this bill was vetoed by the Governor. The new law contains many of the provisions contained in the vetoed bill, while addressing the concerns of the Governor. It also incorporates the recommendations of the background screening workgroup.

It will allow employers (such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities) to hire an employee for training and orientation before the screening is complete, provided the person does not have any contact with clients or residents until successful completion of the screening.

The new law also creates the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse (“Clearinghouse”) to create a single program of screening individuals and allows for results of criminal history checks of persons acting as covered care providers to be shared among the specified agencies (including the Agency for Health Care, Department of Health, Department of Children and Families, Agency for Persons with Disabilities and Vocational Rehabilitations, and the Department of Elder Affairs). This will alleviate duplication of fingerprints. Please note that the Clearinghouse will be implemented by September 2012 (subject to funding). Once a person’s screening record is in the Clearinghouse, that person will avoid the need for future state background screenings and related fees.

It exempts from screening or rescreening the following: mental health personnel working in hospitals with less than 15 hours of direct contact with adult patients per week in a hospital; Certified Nursing Assistant applicants who have successfully passed background screening within 90 days of applying for certification; law enforcement officers who work or volunteer in summer camps and other facilities regulated under Ch. 409, F.S., such as foster group homes and residential child-caring agencies; and, certain volunteers, relatives of clients, and attorneys who provide services through a direct service provider that has a contractual relationship with the Department of Elderly Affairs (such as Meals On Wheels and other home- and community-based programs). It requires that these individuals not be listed on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE) Career Offender Search or the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.

Also, it:

• Requires electronic fingerprinting vendors to use technology systems that are compliant with the systems used by the FDLE;
• Provides a staggered rescreening schedule for AHCA regulated providers over a three-year period so that the system will not be inundated during the years 2013 through 2015.

The law will become effective on July 1, 2012.

LeadingAge Florida Affordable Housing News

Section 202/811 Events — Two different events related to the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program will be held on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

The first event is a webcast on the Proposed Mixed Finance Proposed Rule for Section 202 and Section 811 (FR-5167).

The proposed agenda is as follows:

• Introduction: Ben Metcalf, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Commissioner
• Presenters: Aretha Williams, Division Director, Shalonda Lincoln, Housing Program Manager, Chung-Liu (Andrew) Lee, OGC, Office of Multifamily Housing Programs

This will be an online-only event and does not require an RSVP. Please submit your questions in advance to Shalonda Lincoln. The webcast will take place from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 24. Please direct your web browser to http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/multimedia/videos on April 24 at 2:00 pm EDT to watch the webcast. It will also be made available as an archived video to watch at your convenience.

The second event is a convening of stakeholders to discuss the future of the Section 202 program. The Convening will take place from 3:00-4:30 on Wednesday April 25 at HUD Headquarters in Washington, D.C. A phone conference line will be available for participants who cannot attend in person.

The proposed agenda will include:

• Presentation on the Future of Section 202 Program: Discussion of Policies and Proposed Rule Changes.
  • Coordinator: Benjamin Metcalf, Senior Advisor for Housing
  • Topics include:
    • Leveraging
    • Targeting
    • Capacity Building
• Structured Discussion on Future of Section 202 Program
  • Facilitator: Benjamin Metcalf, Senior Advisor for Housing
  • Topics include:
    • Allocating Funds
    • The NOFA and the Role of Delegated Processors
    • Rating Factors
    • Moving Forward

Information on the Convening:
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Robert C. Weaver Federal Building (HUD Headquarters)
Brook-Mondale Auditorium, Suite C
451 7th St SW
Washington, DC 20410

Space is limited, so whether you are attending in person or via conference call, participants are encouraged to RSVP as soon as possible by sending a message to brendan.b.mctaggart@hud.gov. You will receive an e-mail notification with the conference call line or information on procedures for visiting HUD headquarters approximately one week before the Convening.

Grants, Section 202 & Section 811 Website — HUD’s Multifamily web team, in conjunction with the DAS’s Office and the Housing Grants Office, has created web pages (portals) for the Sections 202 & 811 programs. These are great tools for finding everything you need related to these programs, including NOFAs, handbooks, notices, regulations, property listings, and tenant information.

To access the portals, simply go to the Multifamily Home Page and use the Multifamily drop-down menu to find Grants, Section 202 & Section 811. If you refer to this information regularly, you can save these pages to your favorites or bookmark them for easy access.

Jacksonville Hub April 2012 Newsletter — The April 2012 Jacksonville Hub Newsletter is now available. Please click here to read.

ALCP NOFA & Service Coordinators NOFA Webcast Follow-up — To view the archived ALCP NOFA and Service Coordinators webcasts held on March 27, 2012, please click here.

The webcasts are called Multifamily ALCP webinar for NOFA and Multifamily ALCP webinar for NOFA part 2 (part 2 is the Service Coordinators webcast).

To read the questions and answers from these webcasts, please click here.

Regional Housing Forum in Orlando — The Bipartisan Policy Center, in partnership with the Jack Kemp Foundation, is hosting a regional housing forum in Orlando on Tuesday, April 17, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST. There will be a keynote and panel discussion featuring the Honorable Mel Martinez, Co-Chair, Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission, Dr. Cynthia Kroll, University of California Berkeley, Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, Dr. Ashok Bardhan, University of California Berkeley, Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, and Dr. Sean Snaith, University of Central Florida Institute for Economic Competitiveness. For more information and to register, please click here.
 

LeadingAge Florida CCRC/Retirement Community News

Indian River Estates Opens $28 Million Health Center Modeled After New Concept in Senior Care — Indian River Estates marked the completion of its $28 million campus health center on April 3, 2012. On-hand for the ribbon cutting were numerous state and local officials, including Charles T. Corley, Florida Secretary of Elder Affairs, Senator Thad Altman, Janegale Boyd, President and CEO of LeadingAge Florida, State Representatives Debbie Mayfield and Tom Goodson, and many others. Each praised the enhancement as a new, progressive model of senior housing that will deliver an advanced level of care to older adults.

The WillowBrooke Court Skilled Care Center is based on a concept widely lauded within the health care industry for its person-centered service delivery and architectural design. It will accommodate 120 residents on two floors and feature enhanced privacy and expanded services. More than $3 million was funded by Indian River Estates residents, according to officials at ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, the parent company of Indian River Estates. The WillowBrooke Court addition follows a nationwide movement to make senior care more home-like, where residents live in “households” and share a kitchen, dining room and living room. Other features include flexible schedules and activities, enhanced dining options, as well as larger living spaces and activity areas that promote socialization.

“Our goal was to create a totally new experience that raises the bar for resident quality of life and care,” said George Bryan, executive director of Indian River Estates East. “Our residents who need extra care will live in a nurturing environment that allows for more privacy, cared for by a staff who know them well, and where they will be able to enjoy many of the comforts and routines of home.”

Under the community’s life care plan, the healthcare services at Indian River Estates are provided with no increase to a resident’s monthly fee. A select number of residences will be available upon direct admission.

Indian River Estates is located at 2250 Indian Creek Boulevard West in Vero Beach. Website: ACTSIndianRiverEast.org.

LeadingAge Florida Nursing Home News

ICD-10 Implementation Compliance Date Delayed Until 2014 — The transition deadline for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) diagnosis and procedure codes system has been delayed until Oct. 1, 2014, according to the latest announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The delay is part of a proposed rule announced by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that will:

• Adopt a standard for a unique health plan identifier (HPID).
• Adopt a data element that would serve as an “other entity” identifier (OEID).
• Add a National Provider Identifier (NPI) requirement.

HHS said it believes the change in the compliance date for ICD-10 would allow providers more time to prepare and fully test their systems to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition among all industry segments. Many provider groups have expressed serious concerns about meeting the 2013 compliance date because of implementations issues surround Version 5010 standards.

Who is affected by the ICD-10 transition?

Everyone covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is affected.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), ICD-10 codes must be used on all HIPAA transactions, including outpatient claims with dates of service, and inpatient claims with dates of discharge on and after Oct. 1, 2014.

If providers do not use the new ICD-10 codes, claims and other transactions may be rejected, and the claims may need to be resubmitted with the ICD-10 codes. This could result in delays in reimbursement, so it is important to start now to prepare for the change over to ICD-10 codes. CMS provides important resources and the HIPPA 5010 and ICD implementation calendar dates.

On Jan. 1, 2012, standards for electronic health care transactions change from Version 4010/4010A1 to Version 5010. These electronic health care transactions include functions like claims, eligibility inquiries, and remittance advices that accommodate the ICD-10 codes. Because of that, the Version 5010 must be in place first before the change to ICD-10 to allow Version 5010 testing and implementation time.

If providers do not conduct electronic health transactions using Version 5010 as of Jan. 1, 2012, delays in claim reimbursement may result. If health plans cannot accept Version 5010 transactions from providers, they may experience a large increase in provider customer service inquiries affecting their operations. Health care providers should prepare now for the Version 5010/ICD-10 transition.

Citing "a number of issues and challenges" with implementation of the Version 5010 format for payment of Medicare claims, the CMS has announced in March that enforcement will be delayed until after June 30, 2012.

LeadingAge Florida Education News

Join LeadingAge Florida at our 49th Convention! – Join us at our 49th Annual Convention and Exposition in Orlando Monday, July 23-Wednesday, July 25, with pre-convention sessions on Sunday, July 22, including Strategic Visioning, Preceptor Training, and Preceptor Refresher. It’s more than an education program – it is an essential ingredient to advancing innovation, quality and mission sustainability. The magic of meeting really comes down to the power of community. The place where members come together and share ideas to make our world a better place to grow old.

This year’s featured keynote speaker is Craig A. Anderson, Sr., who will present the “Five Proven Leadership Tools to WIN in a Reformed Healthcare Environment”. Other topics, highlights and sessions include:

• Medical Errors
• Avoiding Landmines: Successfully Navigating the CCRC at Home Model
• Creating an ACO-Aligned Marketing Strategy
• Medicaid Managed Care – What To Do Now
• The Future of Affordable Housing
• Money Matters: the Cost of Culture Change
• Reducing Cognitive-Linguistic Decline
• Nursing’s Role in Combatting the Medicare Payment Reductions
• Equity CCRC Models
• Energy Renaissance: the New Energy Paradigm
• Insuring Compliance with Medication Management and Hospice Care in ALFs
• 150 exhibits featuring cutting-edge products and services

The Convention and Exposition offers 24 hours of continuing education credit for nursing home administrators, nurses and social workers. For more information or to register today, click here.

Don't Miss Important Infection Prevention Symposiums – Two informational symposiums on infection prevention, each with a different focus; have been planned for your convenience. Join your colleagues Thursday, May 3, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., at the Moosehaven, Inc. Auditorium in Orange Park for the first Infection Prevention Symposium. This symposium will provide the latest information on Clostridium difficile, preventing the spread of infections, and disease control presented by featured experts from Centers for Disease Control, Florida Department of Health, Hospitals and Long-term Care Communities.

The second symposium will take place Tuesday, May 22, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Village on the Green in Longwood. This symposium will focus on Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae, preventing the spread of infections and disease control and also will include expert presenters from Centers for Disease Control, Florida Department of Health, Hospitals and Long-term Care Communities.

Both important symposiums are being funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Health and were developed specifically for RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Dietary, Housekeeping, Social Workers and other Front Line Clinical Staff working in Long-term Care. Cost is $20 per symposium, including lunch and breaks. Participants will earn up to six (6) continuing education units. Register on the Events Calendar Page at www.leadingageflorida.org.

Financing and Strategic Positioning Workshop Planned – Financing and strategic positioning training will be offered Thursday, May 24, in Winter Park at The Mayflower Retirement Center, Inc.. The workshop has been designed for CEOs, CFOs, key board members and other community professionals. It will combine timely topics, experienced faculty, and networking opportunities with colleagues interested in the state of senior living and capital markets. LeadingAge Florida is partnering on this training with Ziegler, an industry leader focusing on cutting-edge finance and strategic positioning trends affecting today’s senior living providers. LeadingAge Florida is providing up to 6.0 contact hours of credit for nursing home administrators, nurses and social workers. Ziegler is providing up to 6.0 CPEs for CPAs. For additional information or to register today, click here.

Save the date for HR Workshop in May – LeadingAge Florida is planning a HR Workshop for Wednesday, May 23, in Winter Park at The Mayflower Retirement Community, a LeadingAge Florida member. This workshop will be the day before the Zeigler/LeadingAge Florida CFO Conference and at the same location. More information will be forthcoming, so please watch your inbox. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Tobin, Director of Education and Events, at (850) 671-3700.

Scholarships Available – The “Scott Boord Career Development Scholarship Program” provides staff from LeadingAge Florida member communities with an opportunity to attend either a LeadingAge Florida or LeadingAge educational event held throughout the year. The scholarship is funded by proceeds from LeadingAge Florida’s Silent Auction, held each year in conjunction with LeadingAge Florida’s Annual Convention & Exposition and LeadingAge Florida’s Affordable Housing, Service Coordinator and Home and Community-Based Workshops. The funds can be used to cover registration fees, travel, and other conference-related expenses. For more information about the scholarship program, please click here. To access the application please click here. To apply, complete the application and supporting documentation and either mail or fax to LeadingAge Florida.

CNA Train the Trainer Session Offered on May 9 in Winter Park – Register today for our CNA Train the Trainer educational session on Wednesday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Winter Park. This course, generously written and developed by Westminster Services, Inc., will provide your RNs with the required education and training necessary to teach the CNA course and to prepare your nursing assistant students to challenge and pass the CNA exam. Nursing home administrators, nurses and social workers can earn 5 CEUs. To register or for more information, click here.

MDS 3.0 / RUG IV Distance Learning Series – Don’t miss the remaining opportunities to participate in a series of affordable, up-to-date distance learning educational sessions about the process of completing the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0, compliments of LeadingAge Florida, LeadingAge Ohio, and Plante Moran. The next Learning Series is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25. MDS 3.0 has undergone several revisions since its inception Oct. 1, 2010, with more expected April 1, 2012. The MDS drives everything in long-term care (survey, quality indicators/quality measures, data for Nursing Home Compare, reimbursement) and with the new process, accuracy of the MDS will be a challenge for the interdisciplinary team. We will break down the MDS 3.0 section by section, plus we are offering two sessions designed for the senior leadership of your organization. Each live session provides one (1) CEU.

Successful surveys demand accurate MDSs. To provide the best information to consumers, the community must generate accurate MDSs. Rightful reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid requires an accurate MDS. Each of these 12, 90-minute live webinar sessions is designed to build on one another and fit the current needs of all disciplines involved in the assessment process. Each session will include time for questions and answers. The team can hear and see the same information at the same time via audio format; no travel expenses for the community and continuing education certificates are conveniently accessed via Plante Moran's website. Click here for more information and to register for one or more of the sessions below.

Learning Series Schedule – Please note that each event is scheduled for 1 - 2:30 p.m. EST

• April 25: Under the Hood–ADLs and Bladder and Bowel (Nursing, Therapy)
• May 15: Listen–Interviews (Cognition, Mood, Preferences, Pain) (Nursing, Social Services, Activities)
• May 30: Tune Up: Therapies and Restorative Programs (Nursing, Therapy)
• June 14: No Dents on the Exterior–Skin (Nursing)
• June 20: Pit Stop–Nutritional Status and the Associated CAAs (Dietary)
• June 27: Caution–Falls and Accidents (includes Section B) (Nursing, Activities)
• July 19: Driving Through the Rest of the Obstacles in the Assessment (Nursing)
• July 24: The Finish Line–RUG IV and Medicare Skilling (Nursing, Therapy)

Upcoming Events:

• April 23 – Florida Night Get Together, in conjunction with LeadingAge's PEAK Conference (Washington, DC)
• April 25 – MDS 3.0/RUG IV Distance Learning Series, next event (see complete schedule above)
• May 3 – Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention for nursing home front-line staff: Focus to include Clostridium difficile (C-diff) (Jacksonville)
• May 9 – CNA “Train the Trainer” (Orlando)
• May 22 – Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention for long-term care including front-line staff: Focus to include Carbapenem resistant Enterobaceriaceae (CRE) (Orlando)
• May 23 – HR Workshop (Orlando)
• May 24 – CFO Conference (Orlando)
• July 22 – Preceptor Refresher Course (JW Marriott Grande Lakes)
• July 22 – Preceptor Training Workshop (JW Marriott Grande Lakes)
• July 22 – Strategic Visioning Workshop (Orlando)
• July 23-25 – 49th Annual Convention and Exposition (JW Marriott Grande Lakes)
• Sept. 12-14 – LeadingAge Florida’s Affordable Housing Conference (Jacksonville)
• October 9 – CNA “Train the Trainer” (Orlando)
• November 8 – Maintenance Workshop (Orlando)

Value First

Return Your Forms To Receive Nationally Negotiated Pricing Through Value 1st GPO – Don’t forget to sign up to receive first-rate pricing through Value First, an option for our members to purchase a wide array of supplies and services, with no cost to enroll and no obligation to purchase. Members can enroll in Value First and participate in other Group Purchasing Organizations at the same time.

Value First is owned by LeadingAge Florida along with LeadingAge and 24 other state associations, and is partnered with national group purchasing specialist MedAssets. The portfolio of more than 400 vendors includes food distributors, medical supplies, therapy, facility operations, furniture, equipment, technology, and construction services.

LeadingAge Florida-member communities received customized enrollment packets in May 2011, so be sure to sign and return the forms to start receiving national first-rate pricing today! By doing so, LeadingAge Florida will receive credit for your orders, which will help enable us bring you even more member services.

If you have any questions, please visit the Value First website or contact David Steinhardt at LeadingAge Florida at (850) 228-3001 or (850) 671-3700.

Copyright 2012 – Publication of the LeadingAge Florida (formerly FAHSA).

LeadingAge Florida Chair: Brian L. Robare
LeadingAge Florida President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
Managing Editor: Casey Stoutamire

Copyright Information: Copies of the articles and other information in this publication may be noncommercially reproduced for the purpose of educational or scientific advancement. Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying, microfilm and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the editor.

Correspondence: Should be addressed to: Editor, 1812 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For telephone inquiries, call (850) 671-3700. Or email LeadingAge Florida at info@LeadingAgeFlorida.org. © 2012 LeadingAge Florida. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this correspondence is not intended as a substitute for legal advice. Please discuss any information gathered from this or any other LeadingAge Florida publications with your legal counsel in the context of your particular situation before implementing any new policies or procedures.