October 28 Newsletter

 

 

 

 

October 28, 2026

 

Apply Now for AHCA/NCAL Future Leaders Program

Do you have people in your organization who would make great leaders? If so, please consider nominating them or yourself for AHCA/NCAL’s Future Leaders program. Each state may nominate one person for this professional training program, which begins a with symposium in Washington, D.C. 

AHCA/NCAL shares that nominees for the 2027 class should be long-term care provider owners and/or operators who are up-and-coming leaders. Individuals best suited for the program will have at least three years’ experience in mid- (i.e. managers, directors, administrators, assistant administrators) to senior-level (i.e. vice president and senior vice presidents) long-term care management positions or at least one year as a C-suite executive or owner.

Future Leaders are expected to:
♦ Attend a three-day training session based on The Seven Habit of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey held in the spring in Washington, DC to include meetings with their Members of Congress.
♦ Set three goals — personal, organizational and LTC sector.
♦ Work with a team of other members of the Future Leaders class to complete a Capstone project to present to a panel of judges (graduation requirement).
♦ Participate in quarterly scheduled virtual meetings.
♦ Attend program graduation at the AHCA/NCAL Convention and Expo.
♦ Get involved at the national level (e.g., committees/workgroups).

Anyone interested in being considered for this opportunity should submit a letter of interest and resume by December 1 to HCAM President and CEO Melissa Samuel. If we receive more than one application, the HCAM Executive Committee will review the applications and make the final determination of who will be submitted to AHCA.

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U.S. Senate Finance Committee Seeks Input on Long-Term Care Policy

HCAM will submit comments on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee Democrats’ request for information (RFI) about the future of long-term care. We invite members to do the same. Contact Richie Farran if you want to submit comments, which are due December 18, 2026.

Background
On October 16, Senate Finance Committee Democrats issued the RFI seeking input on a potential major overhaul of the nation’s long-term care system. The request is organized into three sections:

Section 1: Make Home Care Affordable and Accessible
This section explores a potential universal home care benefit, including making home and community-based services a mandatory Medicaid benefit, revising eligibility requirements and asset limits, ending or amending Medicaid estate recovery, strengthening resident rights, increasing provider oversight, and determining how a universal benefit would be administered.

Section 2: Improving the Quality of Care in Nursing Homes
Topics include minimum spending requirements for direct care; ownership disclosure; limiting private equity and real estate investment trust involvement; greater cost-report transparency; market-rate spending benchmarks; increased staffing requirements and workforce investment; updates to the Nursing Home Reform Act; addressing inaccurate reporting; whistleblower protections; increased funding for surveys and oversight; changes to the Special Focus Facility program; and modifications to the Five-Star Quality Rating System.

Section 3: Strengthening the Long-Term Care Workforce
This section examines proposals to improve wages, benefits, training and career pathways; develop the home care workforce; strengthen minimum wage protections; create training incentives; update training requirements; invest in the immigrant workforce; support family caregivers; and expand paid family leave.

The RFI provides insight into long-term care policy proposals that Senate Democrats may pursue in the next legislative term. AHCA and HCAM will continue engaging with federal policymakers on the RFI and other issues affecting long-term care providers.

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Shorter Medicaid Lookback Period Takes Effect January 1, 2027

Beginning January 1, 2027, federal H.R. 1 will shorten Medicaid retroactive coverage for applications submitted on or after that date. Most traditional Medicaid beneficiaries will be eligible for coverage for up to two months before the month of application, down from three months. Healthy Michigan Plan applicants will be eligible for up to one month before the month of application. Applicants must meet Medicaid eligibility requirements during the retroactive coverage period. These limits are based on calendar months, not fixed 60- or 30-day periods. The shorter coverage window increases the importance of identifying potential Medicaid needs early and helping residents and families submit applications promptly. Delays could leave residents responsible for additional uncovered care and increase facilities’ uncompensated care exposure. Providers should review Medicaid-pending accounts, application tracking procedures, and communication between admissions staff, business offices and resident representatives before the change takes effect.

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AHCA Posts VA FY 2027 Community Nursing Home PDPM Rate Tables

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) developed an updated, user-friendly version of the Veterans Administration (VA) Community Nursing Home pricing comparison tool as a member benefit for fiscal year (FY) 2027. This tool, which is effective for dates of Service beginning October 1, 2026, can be found on AHCA’s Reimbursement webpage under “Veterans Affairs Resources.”   

Under all VA Veterans Care Agreements and now in many VA Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contracts, nursing facility providers are reimbursed for short- and long-stay services furnished to veterans as a percentage of Medicare PDPM payments, as well as for other services under the VA Fee Schedule. Get details here: Community Nursing Home Fee Schedule.   

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CMS Proposes MA, Part D Rulemaking

​​The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposed rule implementing three specific Medicare program provisions required as part of the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026,” which was codified earlier this year. CMS notes that the broader annual MA and Part D policy and technical changes proposed rule will be released later this fall.  

The three provisions include: 
1. A $0 generic drug copayment for full-benefit dual eligible individuals at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. 
2. New MA provider directory verification and accuracy requirements. Specifically, MA plans must meet provider directory verification and maintenance standards, conduct and report annual accuracy analyses, public display CMS-reported accuracy scores, and limit enrollee cost-sharing to in-network amounts when the enrollee relied on inaccurate provider directory information. 
3. Pharmacy Benefit Manager transparency and oversight requirements, including reporting all price concessions and fees, disclosing pharmacy payment terms, and complying with strengthened CMS standards intended to prevent anti-competitive practices and improve beneficiary access. 

AHCA/NCAL will submit comments on the proposed rule before the December 15 due date. The final rule’s provisions are scheduled to take effect beginning contract year 2028. 

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Upcoming MDHHS Nursing Facility Touchpoint Meeting

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is hosting a series of monthly touchpoint meetings with Nursing Facility providers. The next meeting is November 12 at 11 am EST. You may register here.

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CMS Launches Nurses for Nursing Homes Staffing Campaign (SNF)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a $275 million initiative expected to support more than 4,000 nurses and nursing students nationwide. The Nurses for Nursing Homes campaign aims to strengthen recruitment and retention in qualifying long-term care facilities located in rural communities and areas with significant workforce shortages, offering eligible nurses up to $40,000 in student loan repayment or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year commitment at a qualifying long-term care facility. The National League for Nursing (NLN) will administer the program in Michigan and will be posting vacancy positions on their website. HCAM encourages members to share this opportunity with recruitment teams, nursing school partners and prospective applicants! The American Health Care Association (AHCA) has provided a resource guide for eligibility information, NLN contacts and next steps for eligible nursing facilities.

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PBJ Reporting: Key Steps Ahead of the November 14 Deadline (SNF)

The deadline to submit Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) data for FY Q4 2026 (July 1-September 31, 2026) is November 14, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST. This is the first submission that will use the iQIES PBJ Reporting. Providers should ensure staff responsible for PBJ reporting have established HARP accounts, requested the appropriate iQIES role, and received approval from their facility’s Provider Official.

We encourage members to submit PBJ data as early as possible to avoid any last-minute issues, allow time to review validation reports and address errors if needed. After PBJ data is submitted, members should review applicable PBJ reports to confirm that submissions were processed successfully. Resources for Payroll Based Journal data submissions can be found here.

If members have questions on their iQIES PBJ role status, please email Colin Endres-Bercher.

Send questions regarding PBJ policy to CMS at [email protected]. For technical assistance, contact the iQIES Help Desk at [email protected] or (800) 339-9313. CMS will also provide live phone and email support through 8 pm EST on November 13, 2026.

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Listen to This Free Webinar to Learn How to Reduce Common Food Citations (SNF)

​AHCA/NCAL and Incite Strategic Partners are hosting a free one-hour webinar on November 3 at 2 pm EST titled A Systems Approach to Avoiding Common Food Citations. Food and nutrition services are a vital part of nursing facility services. Citations related to food preparation, storage and delivery can be a persistent challenge. Developing a systems approach to food safety can reduce the frequency and severity of these citations. Webinar learning objectives include: 
♦ Review the common nursing facility food-related deficiencies. 
♦ Outline the processes needed to avoid the most common citations. 
♦ Discuss foodborne illnesses and effective food recall practices. 
♦ Learn how to obtain reliable information from government agencies and food vendors when food illness outbreaks and recalls occur. 

Join Jen Bruning, MS, RDN, LDN, Senior Director of Partner Education for Incite Strategic Partners, as she shares her expertise on proven methods that help ensure food safety compliance. ANFP approved this webinar for one CEU for CDM-CFPP. Register now​ even if you can’t attend on November 3 because all registrants will be notified when the webinar recording is available.

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CDC Offers New Infection Control Learning Modules (SNF/AL)

Build infection control knowledge on your own schedule with three new e-learning modules from the CDC’s Project Firstline. Designed for current and future health care workers, these interactive, scenario-based resources connect infection control concepts to everyday health care situations. HCAM members can explore the modules individually or complete all three as a learning series:
♦ Module 1: How Infection Happens in Health Care — A 30-minute introduction to how infections occur in healthcare. 
♦ Module 2: Body Reservoirs — A 60-minute module focused on places in the body where germs live. 
♦ Module 3: Healthcare Environment Reservoirs — A 60-minute module focused on places in the healthcare environment where germs live. 

Continuing education — including CME, CNE and CEUs — is available for each module after registration, course completion, a passing post-test and completing an evaluation.

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Providers Encouraged to Take the #GetVaccinated Innovation Challenge (SNF/AL)

AHCA/NCAL invites providers to participate in the new #GetVaccinated Innovation Challenge! Have a creative idea to boost vaccination rates? It could win your organization $10,000! Long-term care providers are encouraged to develop creative, effective and engaging campaigns that encourage flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccinations among residents, staff and even the broader community. Whether your organization is launching a new educational initiative, finding unique ways to engage residents and staff, or developing strategies to overcome vaccine hesitancy, AHCA/NCAL wants to hear about it!

Why Participate?
♦ Promote Vaccination: Encourage residents and staff to get vaccinated and help protect your community this respiratory virus season.
♦ Share Your Success: Showcase your organization’s creativity and inspire other long term care providers with your innovative approaches.
♦ Win $10,000: The winning organization will receive a $10,000 grand prize and an invitation to present its campaign at AHCA/NCAL’s Quality Summit in May 2027.
The submission deadline is 5 pm EST February 1, 2027. Read all the Terms & Conditions here.

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