Second Congressional Call-In Day: May 13

CMS Proposes Cuts in 2010 Skilled Nursing Facility Medicare Rates

5/4/2009 - The proposed revision in the skilled nursing facility payment (SNF) system just issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) would result in a net payment reduction of 1.2 percent in 2010, taking into account the legally mandated market basket update CMS has estimated for next year. We are preparing formal comments on the proposed rule, and plan to fight any assault on Medicare payment rates for skilled nursing facilities. Read the proposed rule and check our updated SNF payment calculator tool (must log in) to see how the proposed rule will affect your facility. More information.

Fiscal 2010 Budget Resolution Favorable to Aging Services Programs

5/4/2009 - The fiscal 2010 budget plan passed by Congress last week contains a number of promising provisions for programs that serve elders. The budget resolution estimates Medicare outlays rising from $426.7 billion in 2009 to $449.8 billion next year. It also allows for full funding for Community Development Block Grants, significant increases in funding for health professions education and training, funding for housing assistance for elders and people with disabilities, and $3.2 to $5.1 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The budget plan provides reserve funds for health care reform, low-income rental assistance and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund as well as legislation to address Medicare therapy caps and to reform housing assistance programs. The budget resolution sets out spending targets for broad categories of federal programs.

Give HUD Your Views on Voucher and Certification Processing Clarifications

5/4/2009 - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) drafted a document attempting to clarify a number of issues related to the implementation of Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS) Release 202C, especially regarding voucher and certification processing protocols. HUD wants your input on this document, which will be discussed at the next TRACS/industry meetings on June 15-16 in Washington, D.C. More information.

FTC Delays Enforcement of “Red Flag” Rule until August 1

5/4/2009 - In order to give those organizations considered “creditors” under the Red Flag rule more time to develop and implement written identity-theft prevention programs, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will delay enforcement of the rule until Aug. 1, 2009. The rule was slated to be enforced by the FTC on May 1. Also, the agency announced that it soon would release a compliance template for use by organizations that have a low risk of identity theft, such as businesses that know their customers personally. More information.

Join In On AAHSA's 2009 Homecoming Week

Be part of our 2009 Homecoming Week, which helps connect the internal community of our members with the surrounding outside communities. We've created guides, toolkits and other resources to help in planning an event. We had great participation in 2008. Let's make this year even better. More information.

Nursing Home Data You Can Use

AAHSA knows that operations data, including information on staffing levels, inspection results, quality indicators, quality measures, and other statistics can be useful to you in maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of your own operations. We track and analyze this data yearly and quarterly, using publicly available information from CMS. Our reports are tailored to providers of not-for-profit long-term services and supports. Learn more.