The Language Fundamentals team recently attended the 53rd Annual NY Chapter ACHCA Convention. A little snow didn’t stop the attendees from receiving top notch education and great networking. Actually, it was a lot of snow!
The important themes of the convention included:
Great Confusion over Regulations – Presenters did a great job giving the most up to date information on the Healthcare Worker Bonus Program, minimum staffing and more. However, there are more questions than answers. Even the industry experts don’t have all of the answers that SNF Administrators need to effectively lead their buildings. On the heels of the pandemic, new regulations continue to roll out from at both a federal and state level. Yet, little direction on how to operationalize is provided.
Survey Teams are Far Behind – Many SNFs are way behind on receiving their annual surveys. This results in a heightened stress level and operational issues for leadership and staff.
Staffing, Staffing, and Staffing – Every LTC facility is looking for staff, yet the industry is still greatly understaffed. Many are confused on how to meet the daunting minimum staffing requirements being imposed when healthcare as an industry needs more front-line workers.
Will there be a Meaningful Increase in Medicaid Reimbursement? New York State has historically had the largest Medicaid reimbursement deficit in the country. Some states have taken measures to close that gap. Will New York follow suit? SNFs are hoping for 20% while the Governor is offering much less.
How about Case Mix? The changes to the MDS coming in October 2023 have major implications for States who use a RUG system for CMI. Specifically, Section G is going away. Since New York State is yet to provide direction on how to proceed, is a Case Mix freeze coming? We shall see. SNFs continue to struggle with census, staffing, low managed care reimbursement, CMI, and an extremely confusing regulatory environment. Many thanks to the New York Chapter of the ACHCA for putting on another terrific Annual Convention.
