|
June 17, 2010 |
Vol 17, Issue 27
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
Welcome to this week's
edition of the FAHSA Link!
Act Now to
Preserve Medicaid -- Important Public Policy
Call to Action -- Yesterday, a test
vote failed in the U.S. Senate on a provision to
add the extension of the federal medical
assistance percentage (FMAP) to the American
Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes bill (H. R.
4213). The good news is that the Senate is
likely to vote on a scaled-down version of the
bill (unveiled by Senate Finance Chair Max
Baucus, D-MT) with FMAP in it later this week.
If approved by the full Senate, the bill would
move back to the House for another vote.
During the 2010
Legislative Session, the Florida Legislature
passed a budget bill containing language that
would allow the Agency for Health Care
Administration to use additional funds from the
FMAP extension, if approved by congress, to
reduce a 7% cut in Medicaid reimbursements for
nursing homes for fiscal year 2010-11.
Therefore, the extension of FMAP is especially
important to Florida nursing homes.
Action required:
It's not too late to call Senators Bill Nelson
and George LeMieux to ask them to support the
extension of the federal medical assistance
percentage (FMAP) that is in the scaled down
jobs bill (H. R. 4213) proposed by Senate
Finance Chair Max Baucus. Senator Nelson has
committed to support the provision so when you
call his office, please thank him for his
support and ask that he continue to advocate for
the inclusion of an extension of FMAP in the
jobs bill. (Be sure to ask for Senator Bill
Nelson's office - since there are two Senator
Nelsons.) Dial 1-888-340-6521 to be connected to
your senator. Follow the automated prompts to
request your senator's office. In addition, you
may try the following numbers if you can not get
through on the aforementioned line: All Senate
offices can be reached toll-free by calling
877-210-5351 or 877-442-6801 or through the
Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
When you reach the office, please use the
following sample script after introducing
yourself and the organization you represent:
"I am concerned about funding for long-term
services for elder Floridians. I, therefore,
urge the Senator's support for the scaled down
version of H. R. 4213, the American Jobs and
Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 that Senator
Max Baucus has proposed. This bill will extend
the increased federal Medicaid funding that
states are now receiving through June 30,
2011. It is my understanding that the Senate
will be voting on the Baucus version of the bill
very soon, possibly this week, which is why I am
calling you today. Please help preserve
essential services and supports for elders by
supporting H.R. 4213 with the Medicaid funding
in it. Thank you."
After you make the call, please email congress@aahsa.org
to let AAHSA know if you got through and what
response you hear. Thank you for being an
advocate for long-term services.
|
|
 |
|
| |
ALF News
|
Assisted Living Salary
& Benefits Report Shows Salary Increase for Director
of Human Resources (From HCS Press Release)
- Salaries of assisted living Director of Human
Resources professionals increased by 2.98%,
according to the 12th annual Assisted Living
Salary & Benefits Report, recently
published by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation
Service (HCS). The percent increase reflects those
facilities reporting data for both the current and
prior year's studies. The Report, which is
published in cooperation with the American
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging and
supported by the National Center for Assisted
Living, contains data from more than 1,300 assisted
living facilities. To read more, please go to
FAHSA's ALF Alert Page.
|
|
Education News
|
|
The Deadline
for Nominations for a FAHSA Award
has been Extended to June 30th -
FAHSA's Awards Program honors those who
embody excellence in leadership, care, and
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. Please
consider nominating your staff or colleagues
for one of these prestigious awards. Click
here to print a copy of the Awards
program nomination form.
Only Four
Spots Remaining for FAHSA's Next Leadership
Course Designed for Supervisors and Managers
- Think about registering one of your staff
for FAHSA's Leadership Academy Program. The
course will be held in conjunction with
FAHSA's convention, on Monday and Tuesday,
July 26-27, 2010 at the Boca Raton Resort.
Discounted hotel rates are available.
Register now and take advantage of the
scholarship dollars and the
opportunities to send your staff to the
University of Florida's Leadership
Development Institute for a fraction of the
cost.
Join Us for Upcoming Training
Opportunities:
|
|
General News |
Uniform Background
Screening Requirements Pose Significant Changes
for Providers -
Get Ready:
Register for July 13th Webinar
- Recent changes in law significantly modify
the background screening and hiring
requirements for health care providers
licensed by the Agency for Health Care
Administration under Chapter 408, Part II,
Florida Statutes. These changes take effect
August 1, 2010. To read more, please
click here for the General Alert for
this week.
Nominations Needed for CLASS
Personal Care Attendant Workforce Panel
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services is seeking nominations for a new
Personal Care Attendants Workforce Advisory
Panel, under the Community Living Assistance
Services and Support (CLASS) Act. For
details, please
click here for the General Alert for
this week.
|
|
Legislative News |
|
Governor Vetoes Controversial Health
Care Bill - Including the Repeal of ALF Limited
Nursing and Respite Services in Nursing Homes
- Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed HB 1143, a
controversial health care bill that included a
requirement that women seeking first trimester
abortions must obtain an ultrasound. In addition
to the ultrasound requirement, a second
amendment was added to the bill to prohibit
private health insurers from covering abortions
if the plan is subsidized by the federal or
state government. This was said to codify new
federal health care reform.
Crist in his veto message called the ultrasound
measure an "inappropriate burden on women
seeking to terminate a pregnancy" and said that
"personal views" on the "issue of life...should
not result in laws that unwisely expand the role
of government and coerce people to obtain
medical tests or procedures that are not
medically necessary."
HB 1143 included provisions beyond the
ultrasound requirement. The bill, originally
intended to streamline regulations for 29 health
care providers including hospitals, assisted
living facilities, and nursing homes included
the following and were vetoed as well:
- Repeal of the limited nursing services (LNS)
specialty license and authorizes LNS to be
provided by appropriately licensed persons in an
assisted living facility with a standard
license. This was worked on by FAHSA and is
expected to appear again next year.
- Reduces state administrative costs and
Medicaid expenditures by about $ 1.3 million
annually.
- Eliminates provider notification of license
renewal by certified mail, saving another
$55,700 annually.
- It allows licensed practical nurses under
the supervision of a registered nurse or
licensed physician to staff a geriatric
outpatient clinic.
- Establishes standards for respite services
in nursing homes, which was a result of FAHSA's
advocacy efforts.
Crist's veto means he has now acted on all
legislation passed during the 2010 session.
|
|
Nursing Home News |
|
August MDS 3.0
Second National CMSTraining Scheduled - One Seat
Open for Florida -
CMS is
holding a second National MDS
3.0 "Train-the-Trainer"
Conference on August 9-13 in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Essentially the
first three days will be the
same content as the first
conference - coding the MDS. The
fourth day is basically a more
in depth look at Care Area
Assessments (CAAs) and Care
Planning, and "Money Follows The
Person". Finally, the last day
is for RUG IV.
AAHSA has again been invited to
attend along with 70 guests. If
you or someone in your
organization would like to
attend, please submit the name,
title, and contact information
of the person to Mary Ellen
Early by Monday, June 21.
The price of the conference is
free; food, hotel, and
transportation is not included.
If you have any questions,
please email Mary Ellen Early
at: meearly@earthlink.net.
MDS 3.0 RAI
Manual Updates Posted on FAHSA's
Nursing Home News and Resources Page
- Links are now posted for the MDS 3.0 RAI
Manual; the June 10, 2010 Update on Chapter 3,
Sections J, and O; Training Slides; and
Instructor Guides. These files are large and
take a few minutes to download.
Other Nursing
Home News:
|
|
Region / Membership News |
In Memory of Ann R. Crenshaw (FAHA President
1975-1976) - Ann R. Crenshaw, an
advocate for affordable housing for the elderly
who pushed for construction of the Riverside
Presbyterian Apartments, was remembered Monday
at a memorial service at Riverside Presbyterian
Church. Mrs. Crenshaw, who died at age 97,
served as president of the Florida Association
of Homes for the Aging from 1975-1976. Prior to
that time, she held numerous leadership
positions within the Association and served as a
mentor to young professionals who worked in
affordable senior housing communities. Those of
you who knew Ann will remember her southern
hospitality and strength of character. She was
described by her neighbor and friend as a woman
with a "soft, velvet touch when dealing with the
elderly and a tiger when advocating for them."
Ann was a true "Steel Magnolia" who left an
indelible mark on the Association and those of
us who had the pleasure and honor of working
with her. The Association was fortunate to
share in Ann's career and life.
A native of Quitman, Ga., Ann moved to
Jacksonville in 1930, where she attended
college, got married, and raised her family.She
joined the staff at Riverside Presbyterian
Church in 1950, becoming its business manager
and then administrator. Ground was broken in
1969 for the church-sponsored apartments for the
elderly. Ann was elected to its board and later
became its executive director as well as of its
companion Riverside Presbyterian House, just a
block away. Both provide retirement living for
senior citizens.
|
|
Preferred Business Associates News |
 FAHSA's
Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs)
-- A list of PBAs can be found by on
the FAHSA website
www.fahsa.org and selecting Preferred
Business Associates from the left side menu bar
or clicking on the FAHSA Preferred Business
Associates Page hyperlink. FAHSA members can
also use the on-line directory to search for
PBAs by specialty.
|
|
Career Center |
|
Welcome to the
Florida Association of Homes and Services for
the Aging Career Center!
Your destination for
exciting Aging Services job opportunities and
the best resource for qualified candidates in
the Florida Aging Services Industry. Searching
for a job in Aging Services?
Looking to fill a
position? This job board is custom tailored for
the Aging Services industry, which means we
attract the most qualified professionals in
Florida.Create
an Employer Account,
search resumes and post your Aging Services job
now!
|
Copyright 2010 -- Publication of the Florida
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(FAHSA).
- FAHSA Chair: Terri Cunliffe
- FAHSA President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
- Managing Editor: Gail Matillo, MPA, COS
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
E-mail FAHSA at info@fahsa.org. © 2010 FAHSA.
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 FAHSA
publications with your legal counsel in the
context of your particular situation before
implementing any new policies or procedures.
|
 |
|
|