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The Massachusetts Vital Records Information Collaborative (MAVRIC) system is set to launch soon and now is the time for RN/NP/PA Pronouncers to prepare for MAVRIC electronic death registration.

National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW) is a great time to celebrate all who live and work in nursing facilities. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) has deemed this year’s theme "Tapestry of Life.” The national observance will take place from Sunday, May 11 to Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Department of Justice Investigating Wound Care Consultants Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting Medicare SNF Off-Cycle Provider Enrollment Reporting Delayed Use of Bed Rails in Nursing Facilities

The Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available for review. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on the compare tool on Medicare.gov and Provider Data Catalog (PDC) during the July 2025 refresh.

Due to the Payroll Based Journal quarterly deadline, the iQIES Service Center is projecting an increase in the volume of calls and emails between now and May 15, 2025.

The House Ways and Means (HWM) Committee yesterday released its FY 2026 budget recommendation totaling $61.4 billion. We are pleased to report that the Committee’s recommendation provides $132 million in new Medicaid nursing facility funding.

Member Update: House Ways and Means Committee Issues FY26 Budget Proposal: Recommends $132 Million in New Medicaid Nursing Facility Funding

Boston Judge Temporarily Blocks Termination of CHNV Parole for Haiti, Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela REMINDER: Requirement to Report Nursing Home HCP Influenza Vaccination and Rest Home HCP Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination Register Now for Upcoming Education Programs!

CMS Proposes 2.8% Increase State FY2026 Budget Update CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz Lists Agenda Priorities

CMS has posted the draft Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) User’s Manual version (v)1.20.1​, which will be effective beginning October 01, 2025.

President Trump yesterday dramatically reversed course and announced a 90-day pause in the higher reciprocal tariffs he announced last week, dropping his country-specific tariffs down to a universal 10% rate for all trade partners except China which will increase to 125 percent. This tariff level will remain in effect through July 8th while the United States and its trading partners seek to reach a permanent agreement on tariff levels.

Mass Senior Care Association is pleased to offer Associate Members sponsorship opportunities and exhibitor booths for the upcoming 2025 Spring Conference & Trade Show on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA! Don't miss out - there are only five event sponsorships remaining!

Join us as we gather for our 2025 Spring Conference & Trade Show on Wednesday, May 14th at the DCU Center in Worcester! In addition to learning from dynamic speakers addressing issues impacting long term care providers, over 50 sponsors and exhibitors will be at the Trade Show and Luncheon to share the latest products and services, giving you the opportunity to network with these vendors and your colleagues.

U.S. Senate Republicans voted last week, on a 51-48 party line vote, to pass a budget resolution to advance President Trump’s legislative agenda which includes increased spending for border security and defense spending, and extending the 2017 tax cuts that are set to expire this year.

At the recent National Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP) annual conference in Dallas, TX, Sandy Sarza was awarded a Quality of Excellence award for her dedicated service as President of the Massachusetts Council of Activity Professionals (MassCAP), a NAAP state affiliate. Sandy has dedicated her career to long term care and currently serves as the Administrator at Sarah Brayton Nursing Center in Fall River.

A federal court in the northern district of Texas on Tuesday vacated the CMS minimum staffing mandate on the grounds that CMS does not have the authority to issue such a staffing mandate—only Congress does. The American Health Care Association (AHCA), joined by the Texas Health Care Association (THCA), LeadingAge, and several Texas long term care facilities filed a lawsuit in May of last year against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for exceeding their statutory authority and arbitrarily and capriciously issuing the Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities final rule.

Our upcoming important programs include: Navigating Immigration Changes: What Employers Need to Know; Navigating the Latest CMS Revisions to Appendix PP and Surveyor Guidance; and the Back to Basics: Infection Control 101 Webinar Series

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 4th issued its Contract Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D rule. The final rule does not include provisions that would have increased guardrails on the use of artificial intelligence and prevent automatic denials of basic benefits without individual assessments, as contained in the proposed rule issued at the end of the Biden Administration last November.

On Monday, the Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its 7th hearing to review Governor Healey’s state Fiscal Year 2026 H.1 budget recommendation, focusing on the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) department budgets, including MassHealth.

With intense competition for state funding amidst ongoing federal funding uncertainties, it’s more important than ever that our voices are heard! With almost 300 calls made to date, we urge you, your residents, their family members, and staff to please call your facility’s elected officials and thank them for protecting access to quality nursing facility care, and respectfully urge them to support in the FY 2026 budget the $280 million necessary to implement the resident care and workforce sections contained in Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2024.

Member Update: CareSource Acquires CommonHealth Care Alliance (CCA); Register Now for Important Immigration Webinar on April 14th

Member Update: Federal Court Vacates CMS Minimum Staffing Mandate for Nursing Facilities; Joint Ways and Means Committee Hearing on FY2026 MassHealth Budget Funding: Federal Medicaid Cuts Imperil Funding

Member Update: President Trump Issues Executive Order Enacting Reciprocal Tariffs; CMS Issues Final 2026 Medicare Advantage Program Rule: Fails to Include Measures to Improve Beneficiary Access to Care Via Artificial Intelligence Guardrails; Senate Enacts Budget Resolution – Medicaid Program Funding Remains at Risk

Last week, President Trump signed the Executive Order Preserving And Protecting The Integrity Of American Elections which requires people to present a passport, a Real ID, a military identification card, or another government-issued ID that indicates US citizenship when registering to vote or updating voter registration using federal forms.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association. Our members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and we are grateful for their support.

Don't miss out on these important webinars!

The March 2025 Quarterly Confidential Feedback Reports for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP) Program are now available to download via the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES).

The Trump Administration has notified states that it is immediately terminating a number of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants that were expected to bring in nearly $100 million to Massachusetts over the next year.

The House of Representatives is now entering the final stages of crafting its FY2026 budget recommendations, and it’s crucial that we act now! With intense competition for state funding amidst ongoing federal funding uncertainties, it’s more important than ever that our voices are heard! We therefore urge you, your residents, their family members, and staff to please call your facility’s elected officials and thank them for protecting access to quality nursing facility care, and respectfully urge them to support in the FY 2026 budget the $280 million necessary to implement the resident care and workforce sections contained in Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2024.

Due to the Payroll Based Journal quarterly deadline, the iQIES Service Center is projecting an increase in the volume of calls and emails between now and May 15, 2025.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) on March 26th issued an update to its recently announced policy regarding Identity Proofing that would have required certain elderly and disabled individuals to apply for benefits in person at a local SSA office.

Mass Senior Care Association is pleased to offer Associate Members sponsorship opportunities and exhibitor booths for the upcoming 2025 Spring Conference & Trade Show on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA! Don't miss out - there are only five event sponsorships remaining!

Nominations for the 2025 AHCA/NCAL Awards Program are now open. AHCA/NCAL members are strongly encouraged to nominate those inspiring leaders and unsung colleagues who go above and beyond to provide exceptional service in the long term care profession.

Member Update: Freeze on Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP); Requirement to Report Nursing Home HCP Influenza Vaccination and Rest Home HCP Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination; Register Now for Upcoming Education Programs!

Member Update: Federal Judge Pauses the Trump Administration’s Plan to End TPS for Venezuelans

Member Update: Trump Administration Terminates $100 Million in Funding for Massachusetts State Public Health Programs; Social Security Administration Updates Recently Announced Identity Proofing Requirements: In-Person Requirement Will Not Apply to Disability Insurance, Medicare, and SSI Applications; Assisted Living Residences (ALR) Waivers to Expire March 31st; Executive Order Requiring Documentary Proof of U.S. Citizenship for Voter Registration; CHIA Issues 2024 Nursing Facility Management Company/Central Office Cost Report Form

Massachusetts is home to 348 nursing facilities caring for and employing over 100,000 individuals. With the 85+ population expected to grow by 40% over the next decade, the demand and need for nursing facility care is rising. Nursing facility residents rely heavily on their dedicated caregivers for daily support, but nursing facilities are facing a major financial and workforce crisis. We therefore urge you, your residents, their family members, and staff to please call your facility’s elected officials and thank them for protecting access to quality nursing facility care, and respectfully urge them to support in the FY 2026 budget the $280 million necessary to implement the resident care and workforce sections contained in Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2024.

Academic Platforms, in collaboration with The American Health Care Association, is revolutionizing the way senior living facilities train their Nurse Assistants. Academic Platforms is a Mass Senior Care Associate Member, and their hybrid Nurse Assistant course seamlessly integrates online learning with hands-on clinical experience, ensuring students receive quality education while maintaining flexibility in their work schedules.

Nursing facilities are reminded to remain diligent in their infection control practices to limit the spread of COVID-19 to residents and staff. At the expiration of the PHE, DPH released guidance on Organizational Policies and Procedures for Mitigating Respiratory Illness.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) today announced it is cutting nearly a quarter of its workforce and consolidating several of its departments as part of a major restructuring of the agency.

Mass Senior Care Association is pleased to offer Associate Members sponsorship opportunities and exhibitor booths for the upcoming 2025 Spring Conference & Trade Show on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA!

AHCA has developed a comprehensive training program titled Learning the Minimum Data Set – Training for the Interdisciplinary Team – a boot camp training for every team member who is involved in the resident assessment process.

In March 2025, the Office of the Inspector General released on report State Survey Agencies Need Additional Guidance to Assess Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness Programs.

Mass Senior Care is pleased to welcome new members to our Association. Our members have demonstrated their commitment to the senior care provider community by joining Mass Senior Care and we are grateful for their support.

Last week the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a notice announcing its intent to end categorical parole programs (CHNV) for citizens of Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. The notice will be effective 30 days from the scheduled 3/25/25 date of publication in the Federal Register.

The Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) released its Annual Report on the Performance of the Massachusetts Health Care System. The 2025 report documented an 8.6% growth rate in total health care expenditures in 2023, which is well above the state’s established cost growth benchmark of 3.6%.

Member Update: Social Security Administration Announces Identity Proofing Changes Effective March 31st; MassHealth Issues Billing Timelines Reminder; REMINDER: May 1st Mandatory SNF Medicare Provider Enrollment Revalidation: AHCA Webinar on March 28th

Member Update: Department of Homeland Security Terminates Parole Processes for Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua; Employee Resources on Immigration Enforcement: Know Your Rights; Informal Dispute Resolution Meeting; Medicare SNF Cost Report Revision – AHCA Webinar on April 1, 2025

Member Update: Prior Authorization for Post-Acute Care Facility Admission or Home Health Services: List of Accredited Carriers; Commonwealth Care Alliance Financial Situation Deteriorates: State Prepares Remedial Actions; Nursing Facility Partners Needed for Nurse Aide Certification Exams; Immigration Enforcement and Workplace Compliance May Include I-9 Audits by ICE; AHA and Health-ISAC Joint Statement on Social Media Post