Each week we will highlight three trending news articles shared from the long-term care industry. From nursing homes to skilled nursing facilities, this weekly post will catch you up to speed on what's new.

How providers can prepare now for upcoming PRF reporting

LeadingAge is warning long-term care providers that they need to understand the nature of their relief payments and have staffers with appropriate qualifications file their reports to the Provider Relief Fund, or else face potential financial trouble down the road.

As the PRF Reporting Period 3 approaches, which starts July 1, LeadingAge issued an alert on Wednesday to ensure that providers are prepared for this reporting period. This period requires providers that received one or more general and/or targeted PRF payments exceeding $10,000 in all between Jan. 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 to report on the use of these funds through September 30.

Since November, federal health agencies have distributed approximately $13.5 billion in PRF payments to 86,000 different providers.

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Nursing Homes Pay ‘Exorbitant’ Agency Costs to Comply With Staffing Minimums

New York nursing homes are facing a crunch as they work to meet state requirements that require facilities to employ more staffing. At the same time, costs for agency staff are spiking. The situation is forcing some facilities to increase their use of expensive temporary staff in order to meet state requirements.

The dissonance is especially felt in states like New York, which has the largest Medicaid reimbursement shortfall in the nation, according to Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of the New York State Health Facilities Association (NYSHFA). Hanse said the average cost for a Medicaid resident is $265 per day, but the average reimbursement in New York is $211 per day. Meanwhile, Hanse said agencies in some cases are charging SNFs in the state up to $70 an hour for certified nursing assistants (CNAs).

The state of New York’s staffing requirements were originally supposed to go into effect in January of this year, but were postponed until April by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

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No aspirin for heart disease prevention after 60, U.S. advisers say

According to a recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), aspirin is not endorsed for use in adults ages 60 and older, specifically those with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

With the risks of taking aspirin daily outweighing any benefits, the task force stated that this drug use is no longer being proposed for patients in this age group. The suggestions is based on a review of new evidence regarding the benefits and harms of aspirin in these specific patients.

The USPSTF based its decisions on a review of the latest research, which shows that although aspirin does reduce the likelihood of nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke in these vulnerable populations, it also increases the risk of dangerous bleeding events, including gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke. The evidence also shows the benefits for adults ages 40 to 59 who take low daily doses of aspirin for primary prevention. Patients in this age group should have a 10-year risk of CVD that is 10% or higher to qualify for the therapy.

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Thank you for reading this week's edition of Weekly Long-Term Care News and Updates, from BASE10. We hope you enjoyed learning about the industry's latest news and findings. To be notified for next week's post, please subscribe to our email newsletter down below.

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About BASE10 Genetics
Located in Chicago, BASE10 is a healthcare software technology company whose platform creates turnkey disease management programs that can be deployed at scale for nursing home operators, pharmacies, payors, and self-funded employers.