| June 19, 2008 |
Vol 15, Issue
27 | |
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FAHSA
LINK | |
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| Welcome to
this week's edition of the FAHSA Link.
FAHSA Joins The Coalition to
Protect Florida's Economy -- Last week, the FAHSA board voted to
join forces with 20 other organizations that are part of the
Coalition to Protect Florida's Economy, a
grassroots/educational effort to ensure that our members are
informed as they head to the polls in November to vote on
Constitutional Amendment 5.
Amendment 5 would
eliminate the state required school property tax and replace
it with EQUIVALENT STATE REVENUES TO FUND EDUCATION through
one or more of the following options: repealing sales tax
exemptions not specifically excluded in the amendment language
and that do not serve a public purpose; increasing the sales
tax rate up to one percentage point; spending reductions;
other revenue options created by the legislature. The
amendment will be on the November 4, 2008 General Election
ballot and needs 60-percent vote to pass.
Formed
in 2001, the Coalition to Protect Florida's Economy has
successfully defeated three proposed amendments to Florida's
Constitution that would have drastically changed Florida's tax
structure for the worse. The Coalition's members collectively
oppose any effort to create a services tax in Florida. A
services tax is not a tax on business or the wealthy, it is a
tax on individuals who choose to utilize any service. The
Coalition is NOT opposing property tax relief.
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Ponce de Leon Presents Florida Demand
Study-"What Will the LTC Needs Be for the Next 30 Years? --
On June 18th the Florida Demand Study was presented
to the leadership of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and
Florida TaxWatch at the FAHSA State Office, Tallahassee.
This landmark study was undertaken by Ponce de Leon LTC Risk
Retention Group, Inc., who retained LarsonAllen, LLP, as a way
to give back to their insureds for their business and to the
State for their assistance with the funding of the Risk
Retention Group. Carole Green and Ashley Stancill,
principals, Capitol Strategies Consulting, also attended the
special presentation. The entire study will be presented
at FAHSA's 45th Annual Convention & Exposition as a
plenary session by Nancy Rehkamp, Principal, LarsonAllen, LLP,
on Tuesday, July 29th from 8;00 to 9:00 a.m.
EST.
Sandy Elsass, President & CEO, Uni-Ter,
and Ray Johnson, Chair, Ponce de Leon and a FAHSA/AAHSA board
member, had retained the LarsonAllen LLP to do the
intense review of what Florida's current long-term care status
and future needs will be by the year 2030. This
interactive model study was presented by Sandy Elsass,
Uni-Ter, and Nancy Rehkamp, noting that public policy can make
drastic economic changes that will affect the outcomes for the
State of Florida and its growing senior
population.
Mark Wilson, President and CEO,
Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Tony Carvalho, Executive Vice
President, Florida Chamber of Commerce Chamber Foundation, ,
and David Daniel, Vice President-Government Affairs, Florida
Chamber of Commerce, who attended noted that this information
is very useful for future planning. The Florida Chamber
Foundation is focused on future state needs and planning for
business opportunities.
Kaye Kendrick, Senior
Vice President-Research, Florida TaxWatch, also attended and
was accompanied by Sarah Doyle, intern. Florida TaxWatch
is a leader in improving taxpayer value, citizen
understanding, and government accountability. Ms. Kendrick
said, "Thank you for the impressive and illuminating
presentation on Florida's challenges in caring for recipients
of long-term care. We look forward to working with you in the
future."
FAHSA Bids Farewell To Dr.
Susan Acker -- After 21 years. Dr. Susan Acker has
announced her retirement from the Agency for Health Care
Administration.
Acker served for the past 21
years as the Registered Nurse Director for the Agency's Health
Standards and Quality Unit of the Division of Managed Care and
Health Quality. She played an important role-- fostering
the goals of the Agency-- by enhancing partnerships between
regulators, providers and consumers. Acker provided
endless hours of clinical consulting and training to provider
organizations such as FAHSA and FAHSA members, community
groups, and other state agencies. She also provided
leadership in the standardization of best practices through
the Long-Term Care Quality Monitors.
Previously,
Dr. Acker worked as the Director of Nursing in a 120-bed
nursing home and as a state surveyor. She earned a Ph.D. in
Higher Education Administration with a minor in Nursing
Education and a Master of Nursing with a minor in
Administration from the University of Florida and a B.S. in
Nursing from Boston University.
We will
miss Acker's unique style, humor and inspiration. Acker has
the ability to deliver up-to-the-minute and innovative
clinical expertise on long-term care while simultaneously
delivering an entertaining comedy routine one might find on
late night TV! We will treasure the memories of learning
and laughing together through a training session with Acker.
With deep appreciation for her dedication and efforts to make
Florida's long term care communities a better place to age
with dignity --- FAHSA wishes Dr. Susan Acker and
her husband Bill the best in her well deserved
retirement. |
| District and Membership News |
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Members Use Home Coming Week to
Connect with Lawmakers -- Over a hundred residents
and friends congregated at Mease Manor in Dunedin last week to
celebrate Homecoming -- an event created by AAHSA to educate
the community-at-large about the outstanding services offered
by member organizations. The crowd included several
dignitaries, such as Congressman Bill Young, State
Representative Tom Anderson, State Senator Mike Fasano and
Dunedin Mayor Bob Hackworth. As part of another
Home Coming event, State Senator Paula Dockery visited The
Estates at Carpenters. In addition, Advent Christian Village
hosted an event attended by Senator Charlie Dean and
Representative Debbie Boyd. Please let us know when an elected
official visits your community. To view photos from the
communities that celebrated AAHSA's Homecoming, CLICK
HERE. State Senator Burt Saunders
Featured Speaker at Shell Point Academy -- On June
10, State Senator Bert Saunders spoke at Shell Retirement
Community in Fort Myers as part of an educational
series. Saunders, with a long and valuable history of
involvement with continuing care retirement communities, spoke
about recent legislative activity that has a direct effect on
Shell Point residents. He shared his insights about the
legislative process and challenges that lawmakers faced and
will continue to face the declining revenues.
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Education
News |
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Upcoming Audio
Conference -- Join AAHSA on Tuesday, June 24 from
12:30 - 1:30 p.m. ET for the Strategies for Managing
Operational Costs Amidst Economic Uncertainty audio
conference. Join Larry Minnix, AAHSA President and CEO, and
Dan Gray, president of Continuum Development Services, for an
in-depth discussion about how to strategically plan during
these unpredictable times.
CLICK HERE
to download a complete description of the program, or for
more information, contact Kevin Bradley, kbradley@aahsa.org or
(202) 508-9457.
Five Education
Scholarships Available for Convention from the Scott Boord
Career Development Scholarship -- The Scott Boord
Career Development Scholarship enables FAHSA members to send
eligible staff to FAHSA or AAHSA educational conventions,
workshops and seminars. The maximum amount of funding
available per applicant is $500.00. The funds can be used to
cover registration fees, travel, or other conference-related
expenses. The selected recipients receive credit on the
FAHSA registration or reimbursement of expenses by submitting
an expense form with the attached receipts.
The
scholarship is funded by the Silent Auction held each year in
conjunction with FAHSA's Annual Convention and Exposition and
FAHSA's Annual Housing & Service Coordinator Workshops.
For more information, or to apply for a
scholarship, please click
here.
Upcoming
Educational Events:
- July 27, 2008 - FAHSA's 5th Annual Strategic Visioning
Workshop, Boca Raton Resort & Club
- July 27, 2008 - FAHSA's Preceptor Training Program, Boca
Raton Resort & Club
- July 28-31, 2008 - FAHSA's 45th Annual Convention and
Exposition, Boca Raton Resort & Club
- September 16-17 - FAHSA's 25th Annual HUD and Service
Coordinator Workshop, Hyatt, Jacksonville
FAHSA Calendar of
Events |
| General News |
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State 4% Budget Reduction -- Last week
Governor Crist issued a directive to all of his agencies
repeating last year's 4% budget hold back. In essence
this is the most prudent method of planning for more bad times
in the coming fiscal year without having to resort to a
special session for budget cuts. (That may come at a
later day if things do not improve.)
Agencies that provide services that are funded
by federal funds, like AHCA, will not have the ability to hold
back any portion of their service budget, so their savings
will have to come from administrative areas. Unless you
hear from us otherwise, this issue will not have any direct
cut on Medicaid services; however, there may be an impact on
some of the home and community-based services provided by
DOEA.
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| Home
and Community-Based Services News |
CMS Survey and Certification Letter on: Physician
Signature Stamps for HHAs / Hospice -- Click on link to open
the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Survey and Certification Letter, "Signature Stamps for Home
Health Agencies and Hospices, " effective April 28, and posted
May 30, 2008.
The purpose of this memo is to provide updated survey
and certification guidance related to the use of physician's
signature stamps by Medicare-certified home health and hospice
providers.
This memo updates S and C-04-35, published July 8,
2004. Effective immediately, HHAs and hospices are not
allowed to accept physician's rubber stamp signatures for
their clinical record documentation, including orders,
treatments, and any other documents that are part of a
patient's clinical record. Included is revised
Transmittal 248; Signature Requirements Clarification.
The revision date and transmittal number apply only to the
red, italicized sections.
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| Housing
News |
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Michael
Kramer to Leave North Tampa Housing Development
Corporation -- On June 18, Michael Kramer informed
FAHSA that he would be leaving North Tampa Housing Development
Corporation (NTHDC) and accepting a position in
Texas.
Don Shea, Contract Administrator, made the
following announcement on Tuesday, "It is with sincere regret
that NTHDC announces the departure of Michael Kramer, the
State Program Manager. Michael has been with us since
the program began in Florida in 2004 and has contributed
significantly to the overwhelming success we have
experienced." To read the rest of the article, and other
Housing Alert news, click on the Housing Alert, 08-10 below.
Other Housing News:
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S.
2736: The Section 202 Bill - AAHSA Updates Talking
Points
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Fill-in-the-Blank
Model Leases NOW Available
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Governor
Signs SB 366 - Elderly Persons and Abuse Bill
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Dr.
Laverne Joseph Testifies on Preservation & Protection of
Tenants
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2009
FMRs for Housing Choice Voucher Program Released
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Register
for the FASP Directory of Service Providers
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Question
of the Week: More Late Payments???
FAHSA Housing
Alert Page |
| Legislative News |
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New Law On Guns in Vehicles in Parking Lots Takes
Effect July 1 -- On April 15, 2008, Governor Charlie
Crist signed Florida's "Preservation and Protection of the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008,"
more commonly referred to as Florida's "Guns At Work Law,"
which will be codified in Florida Statutes section 790.251,
et. seq. The Guns at Work Law takes effect July 1, 2008 and
protects the rights of the public to keep firearms locked in
their personal motor vehicles. The new law, the text and
provisions of which are included in this document, has
implications for all businesses and employers because it
imposes significant restrictions on the ability of employers
and businesses to prohibit and monitor the presence of
firearms within automobiles owned by employees and customers
on their property.
As a service to FAHSA
members, SESCO Management Consultants (an AAHSA Shared Service
Provider) from a human resource perspective, prepared the
attached technical assistance brief. It contains an analysis
of the bill with suggestions for employers to follow in order
to identify and address signs of problems that could result in
workplace violence and the possible use of a weapon.
We realize our members are concerned with
workplace safety and potential liability. Therefore, as an
additional service to FAHSA members, Jeffrey M. Thompson, Esq.
and Jennifer K. Birmingham, Esq. of the law firm Alvarez,
Sambol, Winthrop & Madson, P.A. (a FAHSA Preferred
Attorney Associate), prepared an informational memorandum
regarding compliance with the law and an overview of potential
precautions against liability. We have also
attached a sample notification to distribute to your employees
or post on your business premises. The information being
provided to you is informational. It is not intended to
be, and should not be considered as, legal advice for any
specific fact situation. If you have questions, please
consult an attorney.
To read the entire Technical Brief, please click on the
Legislative News link below.
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| Nursing
Home News |
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SNF's Face Threats to 2009 Medicare
Payment Rates - Skilled nursing facilities face two
distinct threats to their fiscal 2009 Medicare payment
rates. One is a technical "recalibration" of Medicare
rates proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS), which will cut payments to SNFs by $770
million or 3.3%. The other is the potential cancellation
of the 2009 market basket update as Congress seeks Medicare
spending cuts to offset the cost of impending legislation on
physician reimbursement. A draft bill is expected late
this week, and Congress must finalize this legislation
before July 1.
Check the AAHSA 2009 payment
calculator to see how much your payment will be cut under the
proposed CMS rule. In addition to that reduction,
you could lose another three percent IF Congress withholds the
2009 market basket update. We must make it clear to both CMS
and Congress that our field cannot afford to lose these
resources, especially in view of the rapid acceleration in the
cost of food, transportation, heating and cooling, and other
necessities for our residents.
Your voice can
make the difference, but you need to act now. Congress
must take up the Medicare legislation in the
next two weeks. And the deadline to submit comments
to CMS on its proposed cutback is June 30. Please
take just a few moments to urge your legislators and CMS not
to make these damaging cuts in payments to skilled nursing
facilities by using the AAHSA Contact Your Legislator
Page.
Source:
AAHSA
Contact: Erwin Bodo
Other Nursing Home
News:
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SNFs Face Threats to Their Fiscal 2009
Medicare Payment Rates
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Clarification on Nursing Home Staffing
Proviso
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Medicaid Fiscal Agent Transition
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CMS Proposes National Rating System for
Nursing Homes
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AAHSA Requests Feedback on LTC Survey and
Cert
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AHCA to Respond to Questions Raised Through
Culture Change Survey on Dining
Distinction Between
Post-Acute Providers and "Vendors"
FAHSA Nursing Home Alert Page
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| Sponsor |
Uncover Hidden Savings in Your Healthplan Take
a Vacation -- How do you spend those lazy, hazy,
crazy days of summer? Basking at the beach?
Picnicking in the park? Gardening? How about the winter
months? Skiing? Snowmobiling? Visiting a
warmer climate? If you're like the average American
employee, you're spending them at work.
The average work week has grown to almost 50
hours in the United States. Typical employees now work
the equivalent of 1 extra month per year compared to their
counterparts in 1970. More than one-third of Americans
are working 10+ hours a day and 39% are working on the
weekends. Perhaps the greatest victims of downsizing are
the lunch hour and semi-annual vacations.
Sound
familiar? Ok, you say, we work a lot; but what does that
have to do with saving money in the health plan?
According to the American Institute of Stress each year
workplace stress costs U.S. industry $300 billion, or $7,500
per worker in terms of absenteeism, turnover, diminished
productivity, and direct medical, legal and insurance
fees. That per worker cost of stress is higher than the
average annual per employee cost for PPO Plan benefits in the
Midwest of $6,382 (Mercer Study 2004). To read the
entire article click HERE. This
article is provided to you by FAHSA's Preferred Business
Associate Hunt Insurance Group
LLC.
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| Preferred Business Associates
News |
|
 FAHSA's
Preferred Business Associates Program (PBAs) -- A
list of PBAs can be found by on the FAHSA Web site www.fahsa.org and
selecting Preferred Business Associates from the left side
menu bar or clicking on the FAHSA Preferred Business
Associates Page hyperlink. FAHSA members can also use the
on-line directory to search for PBAs by specialty.
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| Job-Mart |
| FAHSA is pleased to provide an opportunity for
you to advertise your "position wanted" or "position
available" through the FAHSA Link newsletter and on our
Web Page.
FAHSA members may use the Job Mart services at no charge. A
nominal fee of $25 will be charged to nonmembers.
Your Job Mart advertisement will be displayed on our Web
site for approximately three months. The FAHSA Link is
published weekly and distributed to our membership which is
comprised of nursing homes, CCRCs, HUD housing, assisted
living facilities, independent living facilities and
companies/firms.
To reserve advertisement space in our Job Mart program,
please complete the application and fax it
to FAHSA at (850) 671-3790 or E-mail Erin Steele at esteele@fahsa.org
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Copyright 2008 -- Publication of the
Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
(FAHSA).
- FAHSA Chair: Alma Ballard
- FAHSA President/CEO: Janegale Boyd
- Managing Editor: Gail Matillo
Copyright
Information: Copies of the articles and other information in
this publication may be noncommercially reproduced for the
purpose of educational or scientific advancement. Otherwise,
no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including
photocopying, microfilm and recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without the written permission
of the editor.
Correspondence: Should be addressed to:
Editor, 1812 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For
telephone inquiries, call (850) 671-3700. Or E-mail FAHSA at
info@fahsa.org. © 2008 FAHSA. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this
correspondence is not intended as a substitute for legal
advice. Please discuss any information gathered from this or
any other FAHSA publications with your legal counsel in the
context of your particular situation before implementing any
new policies or procedures.
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