ODH hospital transfer guidelines. The Department of Health (ODH) today published on the Enhanced Information Dissemination and Collection system a document entitled "Guidance for Discontinuing Transmission-Based Precautions in COVID-19 Patients." The guidance is mainly directed at combating a growing trend among SNFs to insist on a negative COVID-19 test before admitting a patient, as ODH italicized a sentence reading, "[n]o further testing is required for ... asymptomatic and potentially exposed individuals." ODH does recognize, though, that the discharge planning process must "clearly establish[] that the receiving facility has the ability to meet infection control requirements." ODH also recommends placing COVID-positive or suspected patients and new admissions on dedicated units. Please note that the document is guidance only, not an order. Trouble finding key CDC guidelines? OHCA put together a handy reference piece listing the guidelines that are significant for facility-based and home-based long-term services and supports providers, with brief descriptions and links to each guideline. These links are evergreen and will take you to the current versions.
Skilling COVID-19 and suspected patients. AHCA believes most, if not all, Medicare-eligible SNF patients confirmed to have COVID-19 or persons under investigation can be skilled under the relevant guidelines. Because of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS's) relaxation of the 3-day stay requirement during the current emergency, these patients can be skilled in place or upon admission from the community as well as post-acute. See AHCA's detailed explanation, which includes a set of frequently asked questions about the 3-day stay and spell of illness waivers. Please note that the AHCA document is draft guidance developed based on AHCA's interpretation of the best available guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CMS at the time it was prepared.
Help national ID/DD advocacy - complete ANCOR survey. ANCOR asks all members to take 10 minutes by 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 10, to complete this short questionnaire about the challenges their organizations are facing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As you know, ANCOR is lobbying for federal funding to assist providers in overcoming these challenges. Managed care contacts for facilities. Ohio's Medicaid managed care plans asked OHCA to inform you that they want to partner closely with providers. To support ongoing collaboration, each plan supplied the specific contact information below for your use. They also indicated that a member of their staff will be in regular contact with you.
Aetna: Andrea Price, LTSS Director, PriceA4@aetna.com; Kendra Marks, UM Director, MarksK4@aetna.com
Buckeye: Christina Brim Manager UM/PAL-CBRIM@CENTENE.COM; Chris Skock Sr. Manager UM CSKOCK@CENTENE.COM
CareSource: CaseManagementCommunication@CareSource.com; Jennifer Anadiotis, Director Post-Acute Jennifer.anadiotis@caresource.com
Molina: Medicaid at MolinaMedicaidLTC@MolinaHealthCare.Com; MyCare at NFMCOPmailbox@molinahealthcare.com
Paramount: Paramount.CM@promedica.org or PHC_UCM_SNF@ProMedica.org
United Healthcare: Matt Shula, Director NF Services MATTHEW.SHULA@UHC.COM
State designates hospital overflow sites. Regional groups of state and local officials and hospital personnel selected several sites to house mildly ill COVID-19 patients if hospital capacity proves insufficient. These sites are: Seagate Convention Center, Lucas County; Case Western University’s Health Education Campus, Cuyahoga County; Dayton Convention Center, Montgomery County; Covelli Convention Center, Mahoning County; Duke Energy Convention Center, Hamilton County; and Greater Columbus Convention Center, Franklin County.
Free webinar on nutrition in the face of COVID-19. We thank Janet McKee of Nutritious Lifestyles for providing a complimentary webinar relevant to skilled nursing, assisted living, home care, and hospice entitled "COVID-19: Keeping You, Your Residents, and Staff Healthy While Delivering Safe, High-Quality Food and Dining Services." This webinar will cover protocols to serve safe and sanitary quality food and to provide exceptional nutritional care while protecting care partners, staff, and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as coping with product and labor shortages.
Ohio Health Care Association
55 Green Meadows Drive South
Lewis Center, OH 43035