August 12, 2010
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Vol 17, Issue 34
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Welcome to this week's
edition of the FAHSA Link!
 President
Signs Medicaid Funding (FMAP) Extension --
Yesterday, President Obama signed H.R. 1586,
which provides a $16.1 billion dollar extension
of the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP)
through the end of 2011. Florida will receive
approximately $1.3 billion to help the economic
recovery including $553 million for education to
save nearly 9,000 school jobs and $794 million
to cover health care for the poor. The federal
infusion will help the Florida Legislature
balance its budget and reduce pressure to cut
state services, lay off government workers, curb
contracts with private companies or raise fees.
A
chart has been developed by the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities on how the funding
will be allocated in each state.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 247 to
161 to approve H.R. 1586. Voting yes from
Florida, Congressmen Allen Boyd, (D-2nd);
Corrine Brown, (D-3rd); Kathy Castor, (D-11th);
Alan Grayson, (D-8th); Alcee Hastings, (D-23rd);
Ron Klein (D-22nd); Suzanne Kosmas (D-24th); and
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, (D-20th). Please call
or write these legislators to thank them for
voting in favor of the Medicaid extension.
For your convenience, a listing of their
addresses and phone numbers has been placed in
this week's
General Alert, GEN 10-14.
FAHSA's 2009
Annual Report Now Available Online --
FAHSA's 2009 Annual Report has been posted to
the FAHSA website and is now available for
download. To download a copy of the Report,
click here.
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ALF News
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AHCA Background
Screening Update -- 8/11/10 -- AHCA has sent
recent updates for the new background screening
requirements. To read about the requirements, click
on the ALF Alert, ALF 10-02 below.
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Education News
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Register Now for
FAHSA's 27th Annual Affordable Housing
Conference -- Register Now for FAHSA's
27th Annual Affordable Housing Conference. Many
sessions and group activities are being
planned. We look forward to seeing you at the
Hyatt Regency in downtown Jacksonville on
Monday, September 20 through Wednesday,
September 22. Make your hotel reservations now
by calling the Hyatt at (904) 588-1234. Ask for
the special discounted rate for FAHSA.
Renew Your
License through CE Broker -- If you are
renewing your nursing home administrator's
license through CE Broker, please call the FAHSA
office to receive the special code for a $10.00
discount.
Register for
FAHSA's Summer Regional Meeting--
National Health Care Reform: Beauty is in the
Eye of the Beholder -- This is your
opportunity to learn about implications for
employers, providers, residents and consumers --
National health reform is here. The health
reform bills (HR3590 and HR4872) are now law and
will trigger sweeping changes and
disruptions-some rather quickly and some over
many years. Barbara Gay, AAHSA's Director of
Advocacy Information will provide an overview of
the new laws and how the roll-out will affect
you and those you serve. Watch your email and
FAHSA's website for registration information.
Join Us
for Upcoming Training Opportunities:
- August 31, 2010-
September 3, 2010 -- FAHSA's Regional Meetings,
Health Care Reform, featuring Barbara Gay, AAHSA
- September 20-22,
2010 - FAHSA's Affordable Housing Conference,
Hyatt Regency, downtown Jacksonville
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General News |
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Florida Revenue Outlook
-- FAHSA's Senior Vice President, Mary Ellen Early,
and Reimbursement Consultant, Erwin Bodo, Ph.D.,
attended the two most recent sessions of the state's
revenue estimating conferences. Generally speaking,
while Florida's economy is improving very slowly,
the outlook for 2011-12 is not very rosy. Most of
the economic indicators, such as growth in housing
starts, are still in an upward trend, but the
estimates for growth have been downward revised. To
read the rest of this article, please click on this
week's General Alert, GEN 10-14 website link below.
AHCA Secretary Resigns
-- Last Friday, AHCA Secretary Tom Arnold handed in
his resignation to Gov. Charlie Crist. Arnold, a
highly respected professional, has worked in state
government for 30 years. Over the years, he joined
with FAHSA and other like organizations in crafting
numerous public policy changes related to Medicaid,
each time with the goal of improving the quality of
health care and Medicaid efficiency. Most recently,
he aggressively pursued policy changes to fight
health care fraud in South Florida.
Gov. Charlie Crist
has appointed Elizabeth Dudek to serve as interim
secretary for AHCA beginning on August 31.
Currently, Ms. Dudek serves as the Assistant
Secretary for the Division of Health Quality
Assurance.
We are grateful for
having had the opportunity to know and work with Tom
and wish him well in whatever he chooses to do.
Thank you, Tom, for your dedication and service to
the state of Florida.
Other General News:
- President Signs
Medicaid Funding (FMAP) Extension
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Florida Revenue
Outlook
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HCBS News
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AHCA Background
Screening Update -- 8/11/10 -- AHCA has sent
recent updates for the new background screening
requirements. To read about the requirements, click
on the HCBS Alert, HCBS 10-05 below.
Other HCBS News:
- HHS Announces Availability of $60 Million in
Affordable Care Act Grants to Help People
Navigate their Health and Long-Term Care Options
-- Florida Applies for Grant
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Housing & Service Coordinator News
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Affordable Housing
Conference Scheduled -- Make plans to attend
FAHSA's 27th
Annual Affordable Housing Conference on Monday,
September 20 through Wednesday, September 22.
Register today by clicking on the register now
website link below:
REGISTER NOW
Other Housing News:
- HUD Releases Guidance on Prepayment and
Refinancing of pre-1975 Section 202's
- Notice of Submission of Proposed Information
Collection to OMB Research Plan for an
Evaluation of the Section 202 Demonstration
Planning Grant (DPG) Program
- New Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing (AFHM)
Plan - Multifamily Housing Form
- Housing Notice 10-11 Revises Underwriting
Standards, Policies and Procedures for Mortgage
Insurance
- 76-Page EIV Notice Published
- HUD's Cityscape Publication Highlights Aging
in Place Articles Written by Stephen Golant and
Robyn Stone
- IRS Offers One-Time Special Filing Relief
Program for Small Charities; Oct. 15 Due Date to
Preserve Tax-Exempt Status
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Nursing Home News |
Interim Study on
CON Nursing Home Bed Moratorium Underway (Member
Input Requested) -- As part of a interim
project by the Senate Health Care Committee,
legislative staff will review the impact of
allowing the moratorium imposed in 2001 on
certificates of need (CON) for additional
community nursing home beds to expire on July 1,
2011. The report will also analyze and make
recommendations regarding the factors considered
in the CON review process for nursing home beds.
The moratorium, authorized in section
408.0435, F.S., does not apply to shelter
nursing home beds in a continuing care
retirement community licensed under Chapter
651, F.S. The number of CCRCs (70) is fairly
constant so the growth in shelter nursing
home beds has been very minimal since the
moratorium took effect.
The moratorium also does not apply to additional
community nursing home beds in a number not to
exceed 10 or 10% of the number of beds licensed
in the facility being expanded, whichever is
greater, if the facility meets the following
requirements:
- The facility has not had any class I or
class II deficiencies in the 30 months
preceding the request for the additional
beds.
- The prior 12-month average occupancy
rate for the nursing home at the facility
meets or exceeds 96%.
- The occupancy rate for nursing home beds
in the sub-district is 94% or greater.
- Any beds authorized for the facility
before the date of the request for
additional beds have been licensed and
operational for at least 12 months.
Action
Required:
Historically, FAHSA has supported the CON
moratorium on the addition of community
nursing home beds. Even with the moratorium,
occupancy rates in most areas of the state
are well below 90% even in the best nursing
homes. If the moratorium is lifted and new
nursing homes are constructed, occupancy
rates could drop further. With the state's
emphasis on nursing home diversion and the
federal incentives to states to rebalance
the spending of Medicaid dollars in favor of
non-institutional long-term care services,
it would be counterproductive to allow the
moratorium to expire. FAHSA members have
long recognized that their future is not
tied solely to nursing home beds but rather
to offering an array of services that allow
people to live in the least restrictive
setting possible. Please let Mary Ellen
Early (meearly@earthlink.net) know by August
20th if you have any suggestions or
recommendations that should be shared with
Senate staff.
Other Nursing
Home News:
- Senate Passes Bill Targeting Safe
Disposal of Controlled Substances
- News from the Board of Nursing Home on
Preceptors
- AHCA Background Screening Update 8/11/10
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Preferred Business Associates News |
 FAHSA's
Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs)--
A list of PBAs can be found by on the
FAHSA website 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.
FAHSA Preferred
Business Associates Page
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Career Center |
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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!
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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.
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