2017 Sneak Peak on CMS Policy and How LTC Can Position for Victory?

As we move to the year of 2017, long-term care operators are confronting change on every front. CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) will need changes in care delivery as well as how providers or contributors are reimbursed for the care. Those providers will be well-positioned to react and successful in care delivery who are aware and understand the changes.  Newly finalized rules and regulations point to key changes for long term care providers.  Latest Requirements for Participation for Long Term Care involve several other latest needs for nursing facility providers, involving creating a baseline care policy with forty-eight hours of admission of a new sufferer.  

Furthermore, the reimbursement landscape is altering from fee-for-service to holding providers more accountable for the care by enforcing quality metrics. Nursing facility information submission to CMS to measure and calculate the measures for public reporting started in the year of October 2016. For the submission of the data and face payment penalties starting on the day of October 1, 2017 for non-compliance, providers will be held accountable. Quality measures address:

1) Skin integrity,
2) Functional status/cognitive function,
3) Spending-each beneficiary,
4) Incidence of huge falls,
5) Discharge to community, and
6) Preventable hospital readmissions. 

​The new president will develop a latest administration involving appointing a new Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Administrator for CMS in 2017. 
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Learning aims:

• For the Participation for Long Term Care Facilities in 2017 and beyond, summarize many new requirements.
• Explain the key affect 2016 CMS Final Rule has on future rules and regulations, particularly on SNFs
• Elaborate the several quality measures that are needed of nursing facilities in the year of 2017
• Elaborate upcoming long-term care legislation that might be considered by the administration of new president and in next year's new Congress