Governor DeWine Tests Positive; "Hot" Counties Decline. Governor Mike DeWine today tested positive for SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. He reports he is asymptomatic. Governor DeWine becomes the second state chief executive to test positive, after the Governor of Oklahoma. The Governor said he will quarantine at home for 14 days and emphasized that wearing a mask, as he advocates forcefully, does not protect the wearer from getting COVID-19, it protects them from spreading it.
Separately, the state released its latest refresh of the Public Health Advisory Alert System color-coded map. Ohio is down to 11 red counties, with Hamilton County the most notable graduate to orange.
Testing Postponed for Cleveland-Area SNFs. The state Congregate Care Unified Response Team (CCURT) today postponed repeat staff testing at 42 SNFs in the Cleveland area. The testing originally was scheduled for next week. Marisa Weisel, on behalf of CCURT, affirmed "the need to postpone state-supported nursing home staff retesting for facilities previously assigned to use University Hospitals next week .... The earliest date [these facilities] will be rescheduled to is 8/17 (many will be scheduled for dates after 8/17)." We learned elsewhere that University Hospitals recently began turning down new testing.
Associations, DODD Submit Draft Indoor Visitation Guidance. Two months after outdoor visitation began at assisted living communities and ICFs/IID and a mere three weeks after the start of outdoor visitation at SNFs, you may wish to begin preparing for indoor visitation. Director of Aging Ursel McElroy told us that Governor DeWine wants to facilitate indoor visitation, so OHCA and several other provider associations worked together to develop suggested changes to the Health Department's visitiation order and guidelines that build on the existing outdoor visiting guidance. The associations submitted the draft today. Our intent is for the state to finalize the order and guidelines in advance of opening indoor visitation in the fall.
The state, however, apparently plans to separate ICFs from SNFs and assisted living relative to visitation, as the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) circulated their own draft guidance for ICFs today. We are reviewing the draft and will provide feedback to the department.
CMS Proposes 9% Rate Reduction for Part B Therapies. In the 2021 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule released August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed significant payment reductions to many health care provider groups to offset the cost of payment increases for primary care physicians. All told, the payments to practitioners are required to be budget-neutral, so increases to some require reductions to others. Physical therapy providers, occupational therapy providers, and speech-language pathologists are facing a 9% cut to Medicare payment. This comes after many advocacy groups opposed the 8% cut CMS suggested last year. For SNF providers, CMS's proposed would affect payment for patients receiving therapy under their Part B benefits, either as outpatient or while staying under private pay/Medicaid room and board. The proposed cuts, if finalized, will take effect on January 1, 2021.