MDR Monthly Newsletter — June 2021
Skilled Nursing Facilities Discuss Post-Pandemic Challenges
This month’s Synergy Summit featured a panel discussion regarding the post-pandemic challenges facing skilled nursing facilities. The panel included Chief Executive Officers from Plum Healthcare, Ignite Medical Resorts, Marquis Limited, and Bandera. The CEOs provided insight on how their respective companies were addressing challenges of the current market. Topics discussed during the panel included how to drive long-term care occupancy and staffing challenges. Click here to read highlights of the panel discussed as reported by Skilled Nursing News.
CMS Updates 2021 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards
CMS released their revised 2021 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards with an updated Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) and Community Spouse Monthly Housing Allowances effective July 1st, 2021. Click here to review the updated allowances.
Bi-partisan Bill Introduced Could End Three-Day Stay Requirement for Skilled Nursing Facilities
A group of bipartisan federal lawmakers have reintroduced the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2021 a bill that would end the federal government’s three-day stay requirement for Medicare skilled nursing facility coverage. The bill takes aim at the Medicare policy that allows hospitals to “increasingly holding patients under observation status.” Under this status, patients “do not qualify for the benefit of skilled nursing care, even if their hospital stay lasts longer than three days and even if their care team prescribes it,” according to the bill’s sponsors. Click here for more information from the bill’s sponsors.
Long Term Care Industry Advocating for Provider Relief Reporting Extension
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) is urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to extend the reporting deadline for provider relief funding under the CARES Act. The law requires funding recipients to report and return unused funds by June 30, 2021. the AHCA/NCAL is asking HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to push back this deadline to December 30, 2022 due to declining occupancy rates and higher operating costs compounded by the pandemic. Click here for additional details.
