Phase 2 of the revised Medicare and Medicaid requirements for participation for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) still go into effect on November 28, 2017, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a memorandum on June 30, 2017, that they will provide the much-requested one-year delay in enforcement. That doesn’t mean SNFs get to take the next year off while they wait for the penalties to take effect. CMS wants SNFs to use this time to make sure they meet the new Phase 2 requirements through directed plans of correction, facility assessments, quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) plans, and in-service training.
Though CMS is providing resources and training on their website, the onus is still on the SNFs to meet the standards during a time when many are facing census and revenue challenges in an ever-increasingly competitive and complicated market. Change takes time in any environment but can be especially slow to gain momentum or to effect the necessary outcomes in a SNF. For those SNFs that are already struggling to meet quality and survey standards or are looking for solutions to the Phase 2 requirements, the time to find and gather resources is now.
Stay connected to Health Dimensions Group for more information on how Phase 2 will affect SNFs and what you can do to ensure you will meet the new requirements. You can also call Cindy Olson at 763.537.5700 for additional information.
Authored by:
Cindy C. Olson, Vice President
Health Dimensions Group
