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Highlights from December 10 Home and Community-Based Services Expert Panel
By Patti Cullen, CAE
Staff and consultants provided an update on the “Long-Term Care and Support Dashboard.” The dashboard measures are intended to illustrate areas of overall system performance important to the long-term care read more...
Citizens League Report Released at LTC Financing Forum
By Patti Cullen, CAE
One of the general recommendations from the report is to make available and promote financial products, especially those aimed at middle income households. Audience members questioned whether read more...
Summary of the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010
By Patti Cullen, CAE
This law extends current Medicare physician payment rates through December 31, 2011, extends the therapy caps exception process through December 31, 2011, allows Medicaid to pay the Medicare part B premiums for read more...
Caring for Those with Dementia Program on January 25
By Cheryl Smith
Topics in this popular seminar include a behavioral approach to managing behavioral symptoms, stages of dementia, guardianship and conservatorship, vulnerable adult laws, effective communication techniques read more...
AHCA Continues Fight Against Physician Signature Requirement for Clinical Lab Test Requisitions
By Doug Beardsley
While AHCA and their partners in the Clinical Lab Coalition fight against a new CMS requirement for a health care provider’s signature on all laboratory requisitions, providers may find that their contracted laboratory read more...
Legislative/On the Hill
Newly-Elected Legislators Touring Long-Term Care Facilities—Have You Invited Your Legislator to Tour Your Facility?
By Larry Johnson
In the past two weeks, Care Providers of Minnesota members have invited their newly-elected legislators to tour their facilities. There is still time to invite your legislators (whether they’re new or returning) for a visit to read more...
State News
Minnesota Pursuing Federal eHealth Grant for Long-Term Care
By Todd Bergstrom
MDH has decided to explore the funding opportunity outlined in Challenge Theme 2: “Improving Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Transitions.” Interested stakeholders have met with MDH twice in the last read more...
DHS Announces PACE Listening Session on January 13, 2011
By Larry Johnson
The purpose of this listening session is to broadly communicate information specific to the development of the Program for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) in Minnesota. Session presenters include read more...
MDH Minnesota e-Health Update for the Week of December 6, 2010
By Todd Bergstrom
REACH is only able to offer the federal discounts for electronic health record services for a little while longer. All new REACH contracts need to be initiated before December 31 to receive the deeply discounted rates read more...
U of M Publishes Clinical Teaching in Nursing Homes Update
By Doug Beardsley
The University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing has published its first Quality Update featuring activities of a federally-funded project to strengthen clinical teaching in nursing homes and partnerships read more...
National News
Congress Passes Bill Changing Implications of Red Flag Program
By Patti Cullen, CAE
The first part of the rule—the Address Discrepancy Rule—appears to remain intact and still applicable to skilled nursing facilities. The critical issue is whether or not, under the new amendment to the law, SNFs read more...
Important Information for Institutions Providing Influenza Vaccinations Under Medicare
By Doug Beardsley
Effective for claims with dates of service on or after January 1, 2011, CPT code 90658 will no longer be payable by Medicare. Effective for dates of service on or after October 1, 2010, the following new Q codes read more...
Noridian Reviewing Observation Services Documentation
By Patti Cullen, CAE
Providers are receiving denials due to the Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE). In order for NAS to review the unit/hours of observation (G0378), the appropriate documentation must be submitted. This documentation read more...
Health Care Reform
Federal Judge Throws a Wrench in Health Care Reform Debate
By Patti Cullen, CAE
A federal district judge in Virginia ruled on December 13th that the keystone provision in the Obama health care law – the mandate to purchase health insurance – is unconstitutional. According to the opinion read more...
Housing, Home and Community-Based Services
DHS Issues Bulletin Correcting Consumer Directed Community Supports Figures
By Phil Manz
DHS has issued Bulletin 10-25-10C, providing a correction to previous bulletins. It announces a 1.1% increase in individual monthly budget case mix for the Alternative Care and Elderly Waiver programs read more...
Quality Initiatives
National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Serious Reportable Events in Healthcare – Comments Requested
By Doug Beardsley
The 2011 update of the NQF Serious Reportable Events focuses on a review and update of the 2006 SRE list and an expansion of the list to long-term care settings/skilled nursing facilities read more...
Association Activities
Rachel Christensen’s Harp Therapy Program Receives Award
By Lisa Foss Olson
Rachel Christensen’s harp therapy program is a remarkable example of person-centered care. Rachel Christensen is also the first recipient of our Resident Life Enrichment Award, for her read more...
2011 Membership Directory Advertising Deadline Extended to December 31
By Cyndi Spencer
The deadline for advertising in the 2011 Membership Directory has been extended to December 31, but planning ahead and getting your contract in now means one less thing to do after the holidays read more...
Member Resources
Minnesota Home Care Bill of Rights for Assisted Living Forms
By Todd Bergstrom
Our format includes the appropriate statement of rights for a Class A or Class F agency that is serving assisted living clients, as defined by the 2006 Minnesota law. The statement is on a two-part form read more...
Associate Member News
New Associate Member Benefit: Data Changes Update to Be Delivered on a Regular Basis
By Cyndi Spencer
A Data Changes Update will be distributed electronically to Associate Members on a monthly (or more frequent) basis. One member said, “The value of this report alone is worth Associate Member dues.” read more...
Survey Issues
Are Your Heaters Too Hot?
By Doug Beardsley
Recent arctic air means that facilities may have their heating systems on full blast. Hot heaters may cause injuries to residents and result in deficiencies, including at the “Immediate Jeopardy” level read more...
CMS Region V Meeting Report
By Doug Beardsley
Notable updates from the meeting include: CMS stands by their decision not to reverse any Immediate Jeopardy deficiencies that were issued under the 2010 F441 (Infection Control) guidance read more...
Legal Trends
Be Careful What You Wish For: Vendor Gifts Can Cause Trouble
By Toby Pearson
Providers and vendors are cautioned that receiving or offering a gift, prize or benefit that could be construed as a reward or incentive for purchasing particular goods or services may violate federal law read more...
FYI Corner
Share Your “Snow-mageddon” Stories
By Lisa Foss Olson
Nursing assistants snow-shoeing into work on their weekend off; nurses shoveling out cars with their bare hands – if you have similar stories about the amazing individuals at your facility – let us know read more...
No Newsletter Next Week; Office Closed for Staff Retreat and Holidays
By Rachel David
There will be no Action newsletter next week due to the holidays. Care Providers of Minnesota's office will be closed on Friday, December 17 for the Association Staff Retreat and on December 24 for read more...
Think the Cost of Gifts Is High? Check Out THIS Holiday Price Tag!
By Rachel David
We thought you might be interested to know that the cost of purchasing the items in the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas song has gone up 9.2 percent this year. The increase is mostly due to the 30% read more...
Education & Events Calendar
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2011 | |
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Jan. 11 |
Region 2 (Northeast) Meeting, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Duluth |
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Jan. 12 |
Region 1 (Northwest) Meeting, noon - 3 p.m. in Erskine |
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Jan. 13 |
Region 3 (West-Central) Meeting, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in Fergus Falls |
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Jan. 14 |
Region 4 (East-Central) Meeting, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in St. Cloud |
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Jan. 18 |
Region 6 (Metro) Meeting, 1 - 4 p.m. in Bloomington |
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Jan. 19 |
Region 8 (South-Central) Meeting, 9 a.m. - noon in Winnebago |
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Jan. 20 |
Region 5 (South-West) Meeting, 1 - 4 p.m. in Minneota |
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Jan. 21 |
Region 7 (South-East) Meeting, 9 a.m. - noon in Rochester |
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Jan. 25 |
Caring for Those with Dementia—What Long-Term Care Providers Need to Know |
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Care Providers of Minnesota 7851 Metro Parkway • Suite 200 • Bloomington, MN 55425 Phone: 952.854.2844 • Fax: 952.854.6214 • MN Toll-Free: 800.462.0024 • www.careproviders.org |