AHCA/NCAL Requests Extension Of Public Health Emergency | https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Press-Releases/Pages/AHCANCAL-Requests-Extension-Of-Public-Health-Emergency-.aspx | AHCA/NCAL Requests Extension Of Public Health Emergency | | | | | 8/9/2022 4:00:00 AM | | <p></p><div><span style="font-size:14.6667px;"><strong>WASHINGTON, D.C. – </strong>The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, sent a letter today to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, requesting an extension of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). With new COVID-19 variants emerging and flu season approaching, extending the PHE will ensure that long term care facilities have the necessary resources to continue providing quality care to our nation’s seniors. In addition, as the pandemic continues to evolve, AHCA/NCAL asked that HHS update its COVID-19 guidance for health care settings. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:14.6667px;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size:14.6667px;">Read the full letter <a href="/News-and-Communications/Fact-Sheets/Letters/AHCA-NCAL-Letter-HHS-Aug2022.pdf" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</span></div><div><br></div> | AHCA/NCAL sent a letter today to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, requesting an extension of the Public Health Emergency. | |
CDC Program Expands Free COVID-19 Testing to Assisted Living | https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Blog/Pages/CDC-Program-Expands-Free-COVID-19-Testing-to-Assisted-Living.aspx | CDC Program Expands Free COVID-19 Testing to Assisted Living | | | | | 8/3/2022 4:00:00 AM | | <p></p><div>Assisted living centers now have access to free COVID-19 testing for their staff and residents through December 31, 2022. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Operation Expanded Testing (OpET) program expanded access to free testing nationwide to now include assisted living communities, which previously targeted schools, shelters, and correctional facilities.</div><div><br></div><div>Testing under OpET is available at no-cost to providers and can be used on staff or residents. You can receive up to a four-week supply at a time, and there is no cap on the number of tests that can be used in this program. </div><div><br></div><div><strong>How it Works: </strong></div><div>OpET coordinates with four regional coordination hubs to provide pooled PCR tests (i.e., laboratory-based Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests [<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/naats.html" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">NAAT</a>]), with specimen collection supplies, shipping materials, laboratory testing, and results reporting. The provider must contribute staff to collect specimens.<br><br></div><div><strong>How to Enroll:</strong></div><div>To enroll your assisted living into OpET’s no-cost <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/resources/sars-cov2-testing-strategies.html#anchor_1615061492602" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">screening testing</a> program:</div><div><ol><li><span style="font-size:11pt;">Identify your facility’s region and coordination hub.</span></li><li>Visit your regional coordination hub’s website.</li><ol><li><a href="https://letsendthistogether.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Hub 1 – West:</a> Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Marshall Islands, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Palau, and Washington</li><li><a href="https://testedandprotected.org/#/" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Hub 2 – Midwest:</a> Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming</li><li><a href="https://operationexpandedtesting.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Hub 3 – Northeast:</a> Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia</li><li><a href="https://operationexpandedtesting.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Hub 4 – South:</a> Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas</li></ol><li><span style="font-size:11pt;"></span><span style="font-size:11pt;"><strong>Enroll</strong> your assisted living community. </span><br></li></ol></div><div>Visit the Operation Expanded Testing <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/operation-expanded-testing.html#questions" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">website</a> to learn more.<br><br></div> | Assisted living centers now have access to free COVID-19 testing for their staff and residents through December 31, 2022. | |
Provider Relief Fund Reminders | https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Blog/Pages/Provider-Relief-Fund-Updates.aspx | Provider Relief Fund Reminders | | | | | 8/2/2022 4:00:00 AM | | <p><br></p><div><strong>Phase 4 and ARP Rural Distributions - Payment Status </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Approximately $14.5 billion of Phase 4 Payments has been distributed to more than 89,000 providers and 98 percent of applications have been processed. To date, more than $8 billion has been distributed through ARP Rural Payments and 99% of applications have been processed. </div><div><br></div><div>For the applications pending review, HRSA continues to make payments on a rolling basis every few weeks. Please continue to check the Provider Support Line at 866-569-3522; for TTY, dial 711 for status updates. </div><div><br></div><div>Providers should be aware that payment notifications are sent from the email address <a href="mailto:UHG_HRSA@ProviderEmail.uhc.com" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">UHG_HRSA@ProviderEmail.uhc.com</a>. Providers are advised to add this address to their “Safe Sender” list and check their “Spam” and “Junk Mail” folders regularly to ensure that they do not miss payment notifications or related correspondence. </div><div><br></div><div>Providers are also encouraged to check the status of their Optum Account by calling the Optum Pay Support line at 877-620-6194 to make sure the account is “active” and ready to receive payment. </div><div><br></div><div><strong>Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 3 Reminder </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Reporting Period 3 (RP3) is open as of July 1, 2022. The deadline to use funds for payment RP3 was June 30, 2022. </div><div><br></div><div>Providers who received Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments exceeding $10,000 in the aggregate between January 1, 2021, and June 30, 2021, are required to report in RP3. <strong>The deadline for providers to submit a report is September 30, 2022, at 11:59 PM ET. </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Reports must be submitted via the <a href="https://prfreporting.hrsa.gov/s/" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">PRF reporting portal</a>. <strong>Providers who do not submit a completed report by the deadline will be subject to further enforcement actions. </strong></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Reporting Help </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Providers may visit the <a href="https://akastage-www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief/reporting-auditing" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">PRF Reporting Requirements and Auditing Webpage</a> and view the below technical assistance webcasts for assistance with their reports: </div><div><br></div><div><ul><li>New Reporters: <a href="https://webex.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1552987&tp_key=ee363985c5" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Webinar Recording (July 12, 2022)</a><br></li><li>Returning Reporters: <a href="https://webex.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1554075&tp_key=9395e2ad01" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Webinar Recording (July 13, 202</a>2)<br></li><li><a href="https://webex.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1529271&tp_key=32b18c2773" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Nursing Home Infection Control Reporting Webcast (February 17, 2022)</a> </li></ul></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Upcoming reporting periods: </strong></div><div><br></div><div><ul><li>Reporting Period 4 opens on January 1, 2023 </li><li><span style="font-size:11pt;">Reporting Period 5 opens on July 1, 2023 </span></li></ul></div><div><br><strong></strong><strong>Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Providers who experienced one or more extenuating circumstances that prevented them from submitting a completed PRF Report in Reporting Periods 1 and/or 2 (RP1 and RP2) by the deadline had the opportunity to submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstance. <strong>The opportunities to submit late reports for RP1 and RP2 have passed. </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Providers who did not submit an RP1 report by the deadline and returned funds prior to HRSA announcing the Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances process have a one-time opportunity to have their RP1 PRF payment(s) reissued. <strong>The projected window for report submissions is August 22 to September 9, 2022. </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Review the Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances <a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief/reporting-auditing/late-reporting-requests" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">webpage</a> for more details on this new process. </div><div><br></div><div><strong>Need Reporting Help? </strong></div><div><br></div><div>Answers to common questions related to reporting requirements and auditing. Read the <a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief/faq/reporting" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Reporting and Auditing FAQ</a>. </div><div><br></div><div>For all other questions related to reporting, call the Provider Support Line at 866-569-3522; for TTY, dial 711. The hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 10 PM CT, Monday through Friday. Hours are subject to change. <br></div> | Approximately $14.5 billion of Phase 4 Payments has been distributed to more than 89,000 providers and 98 percent of applications have been processed. | |
Register for the Basics of Effective COVID Infection Prevention Course | https://www.ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Blog/Pages/Register-for-the-Basics-of-Effective-COVID-Infection-Prevention-Course.aspx | Register for the Basics of Effective COVID Infection Prevention Course | | | | | 8/2/2022 4:00:00 AM | | <p><em></em><span style="font-size:11pt;"><em>ahcancalED</em> offers a 50-minute training on the basics of effective infection prevention and control suitable for all levels of staff members in skilled nursing, assisted living, and ID/DD facilities. </span><br></p><div><br></div><div><a href="https://educate.ahcancal.org/BasicsofIPPostCOVID" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">Basics of Infection Prevention & Control in the Post-COVID-19 World</a> </div><div><br></div><div><ul><li>Describes what COVID-19 is, how it spreads and who is most at risk </li><li>Identifies the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and other variants </li><li>Explains staff members’ roles in reporting suspicions of respiratory illnesses </li><li>Discusses key considerations for “return to work” </li><li>Reviews the universal basics of essential infection prevention and control practices </li><li>Addresses common PPE and handwashing errors </li></ul></div><div><br></div><div>This course is a vital tool in a comprehensive infection prevention and control program. <strong>No CEs are offered with this course. </strong></div><div><br></div><div><ul><li>Individual Course Fees: $25 for AHCA/NCAL members and $65 for non-members. </li><li>AHCA/NCAL Member Only One-Year Facility Subscription Fee: $500 <em>(Facilities will use one individual's login to access the material throughout the year that may viewed individually or in small groups as part of staff in-service trainings.) </em></li></ul></div><div><br></div><div>Individuals will need to login to <em>ahcancalED</em> with their AHCA/NCAL usernames and passwords to <a href="https://educate.ahcancal.org/BasicsofIPPostCOVID" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">register</a>. For assistance obtaining usernames and passwords, members should e-mail <a href="mailto:educate@ahca.org" data-feathr-click-track="true" target="_blank">educate@ahca.org</a> with their name and facility contact information.<br></div> | ahcancalED offers a 50-minute training on the basics of effective infection prevention and control suitable for all levels of staff members in skilled nursing, assisted living, and ID/DD facilities. | |