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Posted Apr 8, 20204 min Read
State Requirements and Guidance for Creating Dedicated COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facilities
On April 8, 2020, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) and Family and Social Services Administration issued guidance for long-term care (LTC) facilities, specifically nursing facilities, to create dedicated COVID-19 buildings. Those interested in transitioning a nursing facility into a dedicated COVID-19 building should email Dr. Daniel Rusyniak (Daniel.Rusyniak@fssa.IN.gov) and Matt Foster (MFoster@isdh.IN.gov) to begin the process.
The proposed benefits to creating dedicated COVID-19 buildings include:
Many of the Waivers issued by CMS and ISDH to date allow for the creation of dedicated COVID-19 areas and buildings, including the Waiver to allow for transfer or discharge as soon as practicable, the Waiver allowing for structural and/or bed changes to be made if certain conditions are met, and various Waivers addressing staffing challenges.
Dedicated COVID-19 buildings will receive a 50% increase to the current average nursing facility rate of
$215.36. Further, all nursing facilities will receive a 4.2% increase in rates independent of whether they are dedicated COVID-19 facilities. These rate increases will be applicable to the duration of the public health emergency and an appropriate, to-be-determined transition period afterward. While IHCA/INCAL continues to advocate for rate increases for all LTC facilities, the guidance only outlines rate increases for nursing facilities at this time.
Dedicated COVID-19 buildings will also have access to testing prior to the movement of residents, even those who are asymptomatic; available training for staff, as needed; and distributions of PPE, as available.
The state guidance provides the following qualifications for a nursing facility to be designated as a dedicated COVID-19 building:
ISDH stressed that it expects thorough, transparent communication from dedicated COVID-19 buildings to residents and their families; cooperation between transferring facilities (hospitals and nursing facilities) and receiving facilities to ensure smooth resident transitions; and compliance with the rules governing resident transfers, including delivery of timely notices to residents and the long-term care ombudsman.
IHCA/INCAL issued comments to the ISDH regarding the requirements and guidance for creating dedicated COVID-19 facilities, but many details remain to be determined, including the starting date for enhanced reimbursement, the criteria for the required operations plan, and more. IHCA/INCAL will continue to provide updates as more details are confirmed.
Please contact Zach Cattell (zcattel@ihca.org) if you have questions.