Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), testified before the House Financial Services Committee on May 25, 2010, about the administration's proposal to transform its rental assistance programs. The Preservation, Enhancement, and Transformation of Rental Assistance (PETRA) legislation would begin an overhaul of the Department's various assistance programs beginning with public housing properties.
On June 9, 2010, the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee held a hearing on S.1619, the Livable Communities Act of 2009, authored by Senator Dodd.
This Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Survey and Certification Letter provides advance notice that CMS, in conjunction with the Affordable Care Act, will issue a solicitation for Federal matching grants to all states and U.S. territories for a multi-year National Background Check Program for Patient Protection for all direct care employees of long-term care (LTC) facilities and other providers.
On March 11, 2010, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, HUD about the Administration's proposed FY2011 budget.
Ten Democrats from the Senate Banking Committee sent a letter to Senate appropriations committee and subcommittee chairs and ranking members urging them to adopt a "robust" budget for FY11 housing and community development.
In a letter to Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the House Financial Services Committee, prior to the committee hearing, AAHSA along with eight other housing provider industry groups, expressed our reservations about the administration's Preservation, Enhancement, and Transformation of Rental Assistance (PETRA) legislative proposal. HUD's legislative proposal was unveiled at a Town Hall meeting hosted by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan on May 19, 2010, and attended by AAHSA.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued Nursing Homes: Some Improvement Seen in Understatement of Serious Deficiencies, but Implications for the Longer-Term Trend Are Unclear, an update of the GAO's previous report examining the understatement of serious deficiencies in nursing homes by state surveyors nationwide.
Choice Neighborhoods funds are intended to transform distressed public and assisted housing into sustainable, mixed-income housing, to support positive outcomes for families in the development and in the neighborhood, and to transform neighborhoods of concentrated poverty into viable, mixed-income neighborhoods with access to key assets and services. HUD has posted a pre-application notice for the upcoming Choice Neighborhoods Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) that will award a total of $55 million for neighborhood transformation projects.
CMS Memo - Posting of Quality of Care and Quality of Life Indicators
The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC) has struggled since the economic downturn. Several affordable housing projects came to a stop when the investor pool dried up and developers struggled to restructure deals. Congress tried to address some of the problems in the America Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), last year's stimulus bill, with gap financing and tax credit exchange programs. Now Congress is poised to take up new legislation to try to stimulate the LIHTC program to spur development and jobs.
Twenty-seven senators signed this a l etter supporting Section 202 and 811 funding for FY 2011.
Confirms that, as of 4 16 10, nursing homes that are Special Focus Facility (SFF) candidates will receive notification of that fact on the CMS 5 Star Rating System monthly provider preview they receive on the CASPER reporting page. The
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued, Poorly Performing Nursing Homes Special Focus Facilities Are Often Improving, but CMS's Program Could Be Strengthened, examining the factors states consider in selecting SFFs and how SFFs differed from other nursing homes CMS
On April 15, 2010 the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on "Legislative Proposals in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's FY 2011 Budget Request." Several senators noted their displeasure at the proposed suspension of Section 202 and 811 capital advance funding.
AAHSA CEO, Larry Minnix, and the AAHSA housing team joined a group of stakeholders, including a number of AAHSA members, on March 24, 2010 to discuss HUD's plans to reform the Section 202 program.
HUD Section 202 Stakeholder Feedback Pros and Cons
On March 24, 2010 Michelle Norris, Senior Vice-President for Development and Acquisitions of National Church Residences (NCR), testified on behalf of AAHSA at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on HR 4868.
On March 17, 2010 Nancy Eldridge, executive director of Cathedral Square in Burlington, Vt., testified at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the Administration's neighborhood revitalization proposal, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, is circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter to House members asking for their support for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs in FY11 funding.
Congresswoman Waters' Dear Colleague letter in support of HUD FY11 funding.
Carol Galante, HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing, spoke openly and forthrightly about HUD policy, programs, and the President's 2011 budget at the FASC Housing Policy Forum.
On February 1, the Administration released its proposed HUD budget for the fiscal year 2011. There's some good news and some bad news for senior housing providers and AAHSA members.
On February 1, the Administration released its proposed HUD budget for the fiscal year 2011. Download the Section 202 budget chart for FY11.
Listings of relevant updates to the CMS State Operations Manual for Nursing Homes
In early January 2010, AAHSA members and AASHA housing staff attended U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stakeholder meetings about the department's plan to transform the rental assistance programs. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, Senior Advisor to the Secretary Barbara Sard, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Carol Galante unveiled a process that entails rethinking HUD's rental assistance programs, on the expectation that a more "user-friendly" product will not only enhance HUD's role as a partner but will also facilitate the preservation and development of HUD-assisted multifamily housing.
This report compares Medicare's Part B fee schedule for enteral nutrients provided during non-Part A stays to prices available to nursing home suppliers and other purchasers in 2006.
This report examines the understatement of serious deficiencies in nursing homes by state surveyors nationwide and the factors that contribute to understatement.
AAHSA has asked Congress to include additional funding for the HUD Green Retrofit Program (GRP) in a new "jobs bill" supported by the administration. The program, which originated in the 2009 stimulus bill, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), provided funding for the "greening" of federally assisted housing.
AAHSA urges congressional leadership to provide for additional "Green Retrofit Program" funding in a jobs creation bill. The GRP funding provided under the ARRA stimuus bill was widely sought by senior housing providers to "green" their buildings. An estimated 200 assisted housing sites are still on the waitlist for funding.
On Dec. 13, 2009 Congress reached agreement on six of the seven remaining FY10 appropriations bills. The omnibus bill, H.R. 3288, includes the Transportation, HUD funding legislation and has been sent to the President for his signature.
AAHSA expects a major affordable housing preservation bill to be introduced in early 2010. The bill which has been assembled by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, will include the Section 202 reform provisions supported by AAHSA and will be a major focus of the 2010 FASC policy agenda.
National Housing Trust Fund supporters are making a final push to get funding for FY10 before Congress adjourns for the 2009 holiday break. month.
HUD unveiled a new discussion forum, HUD Ideas in Action, to allow HUD's partners to share and discuss ideas, and then vote the best ones for action by the department.
The congressional THUD conferees released the FY2010 HUD budget, including funding for senior housing properties and residents.
The Elderly Housing Coalition represents a group of national organizations that advocate for affordable, supportive housing options for senior citizens. The Elderly Housing Coalition knows that housing is a critical step in building inclusive, supportive, sustainable communities that seniors and persons with disabilities can call home. Housing also serves as the basis for the successful delivery of community-based services and service coordination. The Elderly Housing Coalition respectfully makes the following recommendations regarding the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.
The Elderly Housing Coalition (EHC) represents a group of national organizations that advocate for affordable, supportive housing options for senior citizens. EHC members know first hand that it takes many important and varied components and partners to build a successful, sustainable community. The Elderly Housing Coalition appreciates this opportunity to comment on HUD's 2010-2015 draft strategic plan. Our suggestions are noted below.
Did the National Housing Trust Fund recently inch toward becoming a fully funded reality? Statements this month by the White House and a key congressional lawmaker indicate that the Obama administration is poised to back efforts to fully capitalize the $1 billion account, bringing the country closer to having an ongoing Fund to expand low-income housing for seniors and others across the nation.
AAHSA submitted the following comments to HUD on the department's 2010-1015 draft Strategic Plan. The department enlisted HUD staff and stakeholders to discuss and provide feedback on the draft mission, vision, and strategic goals that will govern the department through 2015.
Michelle Norris, senior vice president for Development and Acquisition at National Church Residences (NCR), testified on behalf of AAHSA at a late-October 2009 Senate hearing on Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Act of 2009 (S. 118), a bill that would reform and improve the Section 202 program.
AAHSA has submitted comments on the Administration's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative proposal encouraging a greater focus on making the new program work for senior housing and services. The new program will replace the HUD HOPE VI program, which funded the redevelopment of public housing.
Few disagree with the concept of transit oriented housing development-communities near train stations, grocers, recreation, and nightlife are attractive, green places to live. But boosters of transit oriented housing should be mindful of the need to preserve-and carve out-affordable housing
The White House statement, however, does not make clear if the administration is backing one of two new bills currently pending-S. 1731 and H.R 3766-to finance the Fund. (View a side by side of the bills on NLIHC's website.) S.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, Janet Golrick, associate deputy assistant secretary for multifamily housing, addressed housing members at the Housing Policy Forum, held during the 2009 AAHSA Annual Meeting in Chicago.
So far, so good, except for one thing the original sources for capitalizing the fund, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, went bust late last year in the financial crisis, meaning that Fund advocates needed a new revenue stream. Fast forward
This Letter describes the Presidential and Public Health Emergency Declaration and the 1135 Waiver Request Process that may be initiated by healthcare facilities in response to emergency situations.
"Little bits of service."
That is the simple way that Ellen Feingold, president of Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (JCHE), describes the services provided through the Congregate Housing Services Program (CHSP). This has become a vital component of care provided to a select group of individuals living in several of the organization's greater Boston facilities.
The CSHP service might be tying an arthritic resident's shoe laces, helping a person with macular degeneration chop her vegetables for evening dinner, or providing a "reassurance check" to reset the emotions of an anxious individual. These little bits of service, Feingold says, are designed to help elderly or disabled residents with very serious needs preserve a measure of independent living.
Organizations that propose innovative and cost-effective ways to promote healthier and greener homes - particularly for sensitive populations, including elderly residents living in low-income communities - are invited to apply for a share of $2.4 million under a recently issued call for proposals.
This memo establishes the rules to be followed when an employee or former employee of DHHS, including a surveyor performing under Title XVIII, is requested or subpoenaed to provide testimony in a deposition, trial, or other similar proceeding concerning information acquired in the course of performing official duties or because of their official capacity with DHHS.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined the number of nursing homes in the United States that can be identified as the most poorly performing, analyzed how those homes' performance compared to that of nursing homes identified using CMS SFF methodology, and assessed the characteristics of the most poorly performing nursing homes that distinguished them from all other nursing homes.
Members of the House and Senate will meet in conference to determine the final amount of funding senior housing programs will receive in fiscal 2010. These key legislators need to hear from you on the importance of a funding increase to your ability to meet the housing needs of a growing elder population.
On Sept. 4, 2009, senior housing organizations from around the country joined AAHSA in cosigning a letter to Carol Galante asking her use her position as the new deputy assistant secretary for multifamily housing to change the way the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) develops and implements new regulatory requirements.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this month finalized procedures for processing certain Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly projects under a delegated processing system, which aim to complement the agency's capital advance processing mechanism and improve HUD's ability to provide timely, high-quality underwriting.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) posted the competitive funding announcements for all four major nonprofit housing and service programs on Sept. 2-ending a very long wait for AAHSA members interested in applying for some or all of these grants.
Stimulus funding to make "green" retrofits to affordable housing is proving to be so popular among Section 202 sponsors that HUD is doing away with regional or property-type limitations for all applications it receives on Aug. 24 and beyond. It should mean that more 202s will be funded than originally targeted -the 18% or 3700 units.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this month finalized procedures for processing certain Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly projects under a delegated processing system, which aim to complement the agency's capital advance processing mechanism and improve HUD's ability to provide timely, high-quality underwriting.
The FY2009 funding announcements for HUD's Section 202, Section 811, Assisted Living Conversion and Service Coordinator Programs were posted HUD on Sept. 2, 2009.
This CMS survey and certification letter letter includes the advance copy and training materials for new long-term care facility guidance to surveyors for F441-Infection Control.
This survey and certification letter clarifies provider and state agency/surveyor responsibilities for facilities using electronic health records (EHR).
Congress made great strides in passing housing appropriations for fiscal year 2010. The House passed the HUD appropriations bill and the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted its version of the HUD appropriations bill. The full Senate expects to consider the bill upon its return in September. Then it's on to conference --- perhaps before the start of the next fiscal year.
AAHSA & MedAssets Vendors just made it even easier for you to save with vendors you already use! We've designed a Single Letter of Participation (LOP) that you can find on our website under Vendor Letters of Commitment.
This Letter provides a general order of priority for implementation of the Long Term Care Facility Quality Indicator Survey Process (QIS) in States that are not currently implementing the QIS. Also includes guidance to assist States in preparing for QIS implementation.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S2-12-25 Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850 Center for Medicaid and State Operations/Survey and Certification Group Dear Colleague: I am pleased to send you a draft for comment of revised Guidance to Surveyors
This link includes information on the 2010 Skilled Nursing Facility Perspective Payment proposed rule, including AAHSA's comment letter and analysis of the rule.
Updates include changes to the methodology for assigning points to facilities' survey scores based on the number of revisits; and to the methodology for assigning points to past noncompliance deficiencies cited at the level of immediate jeopardy.
In a solid vote for HR 3288, the House approved $1 billion in appropriations for the Section 202 program and $8.7 billion to renew project based section 8 contracts. With an increase of $235 million, the Committee pointed to the expansion of senior housing as one of its major themes and priorities, increasing funding for a long neglected HUD program in the face of a growing vulnerable senior population. The $1 billion dollars will be allocated as follows: $744 million for new capital advances and new project rental assistance; $128 million for PRAC renewals; $90 million for service coordinators and congregate housing grant renewals; $25 million for Assisted Living Conversion grants, emergency capital repairs, and for the first time substantial capital repair grants; and $20 million for pre-development grants. For the first time, as well, the bill provides $2 million for technical assistance grants to help providers submit good, strong applications for both Section 202 and Section 811 grants.
This Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) transmittal includes the revised guidance to surveyors for F-441-Infection Control, and corrects the implementation date to Sept. 30, 2009.
On July 10, 2009, AAHSA met with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to discuss the continuing problems with the CMS five-star rating system.
On July 9, 2009, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on the TARP for Main Street Act of 2009 (H.R. 3068), proposed legislation that would use dividends from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to fund various federal housing programs, including $1 billion FY10 funding for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), homeowner foreclosure assistance and the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
On June 30, 2009,Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced that the agency approved plans submitted by state housing finance agencies for $1.035 billion in funding under the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) to jump-start affordable housing programs in 26 states.
On July 8, 2009, the House Financial Services Committee marked up the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA), H.R. 3045. A number of amendments were adopted, including provisions to allow public housing residents to possess firearms and increase requirements for proof of legal immigration status in public housing. An amendment to reduce the number of authorized vouchers in the bill from 150,000 to 20,0000 failed.
The House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations subcommittee held a mark-up of the FY10 funding bill, which included $1 billion for the Section 202 program. This is a $235 million increase from the FY09 funding level.
On July 15, 2009, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity held a hearing on the comprehensive preservation legislation prepared by Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.).
On July 15, 2009, David Stevens was sworn in as assistant secretary for housing and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) commissioner at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Stevens was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 10, 2009.
In our comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Advocacy (CMS) on a proposed recalibration of skilled nursing facility payment rates, we argued that the resulting payment cuts would hit hardest those facilities, mostly not-for-profits, serving the most medically complex residents.
This memo announces the release of the Evaluation of the Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) and the posting of the Executive Summary on the CMS Web site.
This memo clarifies that States may use collected CMP funds for projects and programs available through a variety of stakeholders, including facilities, consumer groups, nursing home associations, ombudsmen, and QIO organizations, as long as the funds are used for purposes that benefit nursing home residents. Examples of CMP-funded projects in various States are included.
The March 2009 MedPAC Report recommends eliminating the SNF market basket updated because findings show generally positive indicators and adequate SNF payment to accommofate anticipated cost growth.
This memo reiterates current CMS policy that all surveys must be unannounced for all providers and suppliers, except for standard surveys of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) laboratories and other limited exceptions.
This memo includes guidance for surveyors developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding health care facility visual alerts and proper respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette for the H1N1 flu virus(Swine-Origin Influenza A) infection. Also attached is a tracking tool for state agencies (SA) to use in reporting impact to survey activities and to providers affected by the H1N1 virus infection.
The FY 2008 HUD Appropriations Legislation and Senior Housing Programs Before leaving for the holidays and the close of the first session of the 110th Congress, the White House and the Congress agreed upon spending for the remainder of the fiscal year 2008. The negotiations over the spending omnibus left HUD funding re
Supplement to the CMS 2006 Survey Revisit Memo explaining process for survey revisits.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued two separate waivers on certain Medicare requirements for the states of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama due to the impact of the two hurricanes.
CMS Memos to State Agencies and Regional Offices relating to survey and certification.
Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 6033, new legislation that would expand access to home healthcare options for senior and disabled individuals living in public housing.
This memo from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) clarifies that procedures for release of survey findings have not changed based on publication of the Sept. 15, 2008, final rule, Testimony by Employees and the Production of Documents in Proceedings Where the Untied States in Not a Party. The memo reiterates current law, regulations, and guidance in the CMS State Operations Manual (SOM) that involve the release of survey results as reflected in the Statement of Deficiencies, CMS Form 2567.
On March 23, 2009, HUD released a press statement announcing the appointment Long & Foster CEO David H. Stevens to serve as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
DATE: February 27, 2006 TO: AAHSA Members FROM: Larry Minnix RE: SURVEY AND CERTIFICATION ISSUES For Your Information For Your Action Bruce Yarwood, the CEO of the American Health Care Association, and I have reinstituted regular meetings with the leadership of the nursing home survey and certification team at CMS, Tho
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched its five-star rating system for nursing homes on Dec. 18, 2008. AAHSA strongly encouraged CMS to postpone implementation of the rating system due to what we see as significant flaws with the model. Our spreadsheet breaks down the average scores achieved by not-for-profit and for-profit nursing facilities.
This Report details the efforts undertaken and progress achieved since the passage of OBRA '87 to reduce the use of unnecessary physical restraints in Nursing Facilities.
This link provides information on the latest developments of the national Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program. On Nov. of 2008, CMS was required to stop all work for all four Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) program due to protests filed by two unsuccessful bidders for the RAC program with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). As of Feb. 4, 2009, the protest was resolved, and the stop work order was lifted, which means that CMS will continue to implement the RAC program.
This letter clarifies that the food procurement requirements at Tag F 371-Dietary Services, pertain only to foods obtained by the facility for resident consumption, and do not apply to food(s) provided by visitors, friends, or family members that the resident has chosen to accept.
CMS Memo: Food Procurement at 42 CFR 483.359(i)(1)(2), Tag F371, and Self Determination and Participation at 42 CFR 483.15, Tag F242" (5-29-09)
On Oct. 30, 2008, AAHSA submitted comments on HUD's proposed Notice for delegated processing of the Section 202 PRAC awards to approved state agencies. This change was part of the GSE reform legislation, H.R. 3221, and will be in effect for the next Section 202 NOFA.
1 Nursing Home Journal IV, Unnecessary Medications Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Satellite Broadcast and Webcast Friday December 15, 2006 Time frames (1:00-2:30 PM) EST PLEASE ADJUST TIMES FOR YOUR TIMEZONE This satellite broadcast and Webcast will provide for, State Agency surveyors, an overview of
On March 5, 2009, AAHSA submitted the following comments on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) proposed delegated processing rule. The rule is based on a provision that AAHSA had in its original Section 202 reform legislation, which died in the Senate last year.
This April 28, 2009, memo cites the declaration of a public health
emergency by the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), and the authority of the Center for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) to waive or modify, as necessary, certain
long-term care facility survey and certification requirements when the
HHS secretary invokes his or her waiver authority under Section 1135 of
the Social Security Act.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is set to introduce comprehensive preservation legislation before Congress recesses for the summer. In the midst of all the banking regulatory reform debates, the Financial Services Committee in the House has tentatively scheduled its first hearing on draft preservation legislation on Thursday, June 25, 2009.
On Jan. 7, 2009, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, reintroduced legislation to expand and improve the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program (S.118).
Subcommittee on Transportation, HUD and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations "Challenges of the Project -Based Section 8 Program" April 23, 2008 Written Testimony of Larry Minnix, President and CEO American Association of Homes and Services fo r the Aging My name is Larry Minnix and I am the Pr
State Operations Manual Appendix P -Survey Protocol for Long Term Care Facilities -Part I -(Rev.?) INDEX I. Introduction II. The Survey Process II.A The Quality Indicators Survey (QIS) 1. The QIS Standard Survey 2. The QIS Extended Survey 3. The QIS Post-Survey Revisit (Follow-up) 4. The QIS Complaint Survey Procedures
The revised Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Spell of Illness Quick Reference Chart (January 2009) provides Medicare claims processing information related to SNF spells of illness.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Nursing Home Five-Star Rating System will be updated on the Nursing Home Compare Web site on April 23, 2009. CMS will begin populating facilities' mailboxes with their preview data on Thursday, April 16. Providers can access their report from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) State Welcome pages available at the state servers for submission of MDS data.
55528 Federal Register /Vol. 68, No. 187 /Friday, September 26, 2003 /Rules and Regulations rebate regulation for the Medicaid drug rebate program. This document corrects the effective date. EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of the August 29, 2003 final rule (68 FR 51912) amending 42 CFR part 447 is corrected from Oct
This memo provides specific details on the scoring methodology used to identify those nursing facilities that become candidates for the Special Focus Facility Initiative.
This spreadsheet analyzes the percentages of not-for-profit and for-profit nursing homes that were rated in the initial listing posted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in December 2008.
In early June of 2009, AAHSA's housing team had the opportunity to sit down with Carol Galante, new deputy assistant secretary for multifamily housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for an introductory meeting. The meeting centered on the top priorities for AAHSA's affordable housing members, including administrative and operational directives, preservation, capital advances and development, and support for housing with services models. AAHSA specifically addressed the issue of transparency, timeliness, and consistency in HUD's guidance to the field in the form of notices, letters and forms.
In the recent changes to the Section 8 Renewal Guide, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) altered its policy on caps on Section 8 rents for not-for-profits marking rents to budget or market in rehabilitation financing. Under the new guide, Section 8 rents can be increased, but they are limited to tax-credit rents if tax credits are used in the refinancing.
Nursing Homes - Issuance of Revisions to Appendix P, State Operations Manual (SOM), Survey Protocol for Long Term Care Facilities
While advocating for helping people stay independent and at
home, legislators and governors must also ensure that those who need
round-the-clock care get what they need, says Beth Silver, director of
public relations and marketing for Menorah Park Center for Senior
Living in Cleveland, Ohio. Silver's organization partners with other
Cleveland-area providers to facilitate letter-writing campaigns, visit
the state Capitol and host legislators' visits.
"Our staff, our
volunteers, our families, our board members are all really invested in
the organization, so it's a matter of communicating effectively to them
that we need your help," Silver says.
Clarification of Terms Used in the Definition of Physical Restraints as Applied to the Requirements for Long Term Care Facilities
Written Testimony Submitted to the House Financial Services Committee Hearing on Federal Housing Response to Hurricane Katrina and Housing Reconstruction Tuesday, February 6, 2007 I. AAHSA appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of our members, their residents and the multitude of seniors displaced as
The publication is structured by state and provider type. There is a chapter on
each state and within those chapters there are sections relating to nursing
homes, assisted living facilities, home health, and hospice services. The
content is organized for ease of use to allow users, for example, to zero in on
licensure for home health in Arizona or certificate of need requirements for
hospice in New York.
On May 13, 2009, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held nomination hearings on positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) including: Mr. Raphael W. Bostic for assistant secretary - Designate for Policy Development and Research, Ms. Sandra Henriquez for assistant secretary - Designate for Public and Indian Housing, and Ms. Mercedes Márquez for assistant secretary - Designate for Community Planning and Development.
The following sign-on letter was sent to Congress requesting support for sufficient funding to ensure uninterrupted payment of rental subsidies going into the next fiscal year.
The omnibus will provide $765 million in FY09 funding for the Section 202 program, $30 million above the FY08 level. The entire increase will go to the Service Coordinator Grant program, increasing the FY09 amount to $90 million. The omnibus also authorizes the refinancing of older Section 202 buildings and provides project based rental assistance for those properties. Finally, the bill again gives the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the authority to transfer project-based Section 8 contracts in certain circumstances.
Read a summary of the FY08 HUD appropriations process and find out what it means for AAHSA housing members.
Option 1-Ready to Become SHCM Certified n Yes, I have completed the criteria listed above and I would like to be enrolled in the new SHCM certification program. To complete my SHCM application, I have enclosed or provided the following information: • I have completed the applicant information on the next page • I have
On May 6, 2009, Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Steven Chu, secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced a partnership between the two agencies to coordinate funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which received $5 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
AAHSA has offered four ideas to the Obama transition team and to various staff on Capitol Hill related to senior housing and supportive services that could act as immediate economic recovery policies and expenditures and have implications for the long term as well.
The House Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees proposed legislation to meet the economic crisis and the need for dramatic government spending. The economic recovery bill, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, includes two provisions that can provide funding for senior housing.
2009 SNF PPS Correction Notice Released Sept 29 2008
On March 25, 2009, the president announced his plan to nominate NHC Chair Helen Kanovsky for general counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
This letter clarifies that the one-time cash benefit of $250 provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to certain eligible individuals who receive a Social Security benefit, Railroad Retirement pension, Veterans Administration disability pension, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is for residents' personal use, not to pay the facility for the cost of care.
On May 7, 2009, President Obama released his first budget funding the federal government for fiscal year 2010. Funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was increased by more that 10 percent from FY2009 amounts.
We raised a number of concerns regarding the data on which the proposed five-star rating system is to be based and urged CMS not to implement the system until these deficiencies are addressed.
On January 22, 2009, Shaun Donovan was confirmed as Secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development. Donovan's nomination received wide bipartisan support and was enthusiastically received by the affordable housing community including AAHSA.
On March 11, 2009 the House Financial Services Committee released the "Views and Estimates of the Committee on Financial Services Matters to be set forth in the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2010."
Excerpts from the Senate Appropriations Committee report 110-418: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2009 TITLE II: Department of Housing and Urban Development Committee Recommend ation: The Committee recommends for fiscal year 2009 an
On March 17, 2009, Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that President Barack Obama appointed Carol Galante as deputy assistant secretary for multifamily housing programs at HUD.
AAHSA joined a broad coalition in considering the future of public housing and a blueprint for the way forward.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an advance copy of revisions made to the Long Term Care Facility Guidance to Surveyors for several requirements related to Quality of Life and Environment, effective June 17, 2009. The memo includes a training guide and an article on person-centered word usage to accompany the revisions to F241-Dignity.
Our letter to Thomas Hamilton, director of the Survey and Certification Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), urges a variety of short- and long-term changes in the nursing home five-star rating system to move it from unintended consequences and perverse incentives to a consumer friendly alignment of common objectives.
This report describes the nature and extent of nursing home deficiencies and complaints in 2007, and identifies trends from 2005 to 2007. The information provided is based on an analysis of data from CMS's Online Survey and Certification Reporting System (OSCAR)."
In a June 16, 2009, announcement, the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released details of the FY09 funding decisions to award 36 national recipients grants for emergency repairs to items that present an immediate threat to the health, safety and quality of life of senior housing tenants.
On March 13, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued Notice H 09-02 detailing the $250 million available under the Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing (GRP). The program, part of the stimulus funding package passed in February 2009, is available to federally funded multifamily providers with project based assistance to pay for energy retrofit rehab.
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, $95 million in grant funds will be available on a first come, first served basis to public housing agencies for improvements that address the needs of the elderly and/or persons with disabilities residing in public housing.
Grants.gov will have a diminished role in the FY09 funding announcements and applications process. Section 202 applications are expected to be done in hard copy this year.
State housing finance agencies nationwide are moving to adopt policies to implement the $2.25 billion tax credit gap financing program and the tax credit exchange program (TCAP) funded by the stimulus legislation, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), enacted on Feb. 17, 2009. The gap financing program which will distribute funds to tax credit allocating agencies under the HOME program formula requires that 75 percent of TCAP funds be expended by Feb. 17, 2010. The TCAP funds must be committed by Jan. 1, 2011.
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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) began its
fiscal 2009 notice of funding availability (NOFA) process by publishing
policy requirements as well as all general section language for fiscal
2009 discretionary funding programs.
One of AAHSA's major concerns remains the sustainability of the critical national resource that is in place affordable housing. As such, a major legislative initiative is to secure critical funding for renewal of all expiring rent subsidy contracts, emergency and other
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