This week, the Boston Herald published an article, Massachusetts nursing homes report dramatic drop in coronavirus death rate since vaccine rollout. “The virus death rate and case counts at nursing homes have significantly declined, a “very encouraging” trend that shows the vax working for the high-risk group that received it first, doctors tell the Herald.”

Members are updated on Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) repayments.

Information is provided on DPH memorandum on temporary nursing agency rates, updated COVID diagnosis codes and the DPH weekly call.

EOHHS issued Administrative Bulletin 21-02 to set forth the compliance criteria, reporting requirements, penalty amount, and recovery and referral procedures for the nursing facility direct care cost quotient and EOHHS has posted a recording of yesterday’s DCC-Q webinar on its website.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) has released its updated list which reflects all OIG exclusions and reinstatement actions up to, and including, those taken in January 2021.

“Motivated by what felt like necessity and equipped with their abundant compassion, ample ingenuity, and copious colored pens, Saffron Patel and her sister Shreya founded Letters Against Isolation, an organization that links volunteer letter-writers with people residing in various types of care homes.”

Operation September Freedom is a national effort by Dream Flights to locate and honor World War II veterans with free Dream Flights in their fleet of restored WWII-era Stearman biplanes. During a 20-minute Dream Flight, veterans experience the freedom and exhilaration of soaring 1,000 feet in the air in an iconic, open-cockpit-biplane.

EOHHS has posted a recording of yesterday’s DCC-Q webinar on its website.

We need you to act now! You can either call or write your Member of Congress to protect access to long term care for vulnerable residents.