Guidance for Home Health Aide and Personal Care Aide Training Programs 

Yesterday, the Department of Health (DOH/the Department) issued guidance regarding HHA and PCA training programs. 

The Department expects that each agency with an approved PCA or HHA training program will develop a Policy and Procedure for their Policy and Procedure Manual incorporating the training requirements noted in the guidance. This policy should be developed prior to initiating resumption of training.

The agency must consider the information listed below for each training modality that the agency intends to offer/resume: for HHATP -- Core Training, Nurse Aide Transition, PCA Upgrade, Competency Evaluation; and for PCATP -- Basic Training, Alternative Competency Demonstration. 

Agencies must take the following into consideration when resuming training classes: 

• CDC social distancing guidelines’ impact on classes. 
• Determine how to eliminate or reduce the potential/risk of virus transmission in the classroom and skills lab settings. 
• Develop a process for screening trainees for symptoms, including but not limited to, temperature checks prior to entering classroom and skills lab settings. 
• Ensure the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for trainees and trainers, as well as all supplies for training purposes. 
• How the issuance and compliance with PPE requirements will be documented and how documentation will be maintained and produced upon request. 
• How to meet the 16-hour Supervised Practical Training requirement for HHA training conducted in the skills lab setting (as noted in the 4/10/2020 Health Advisory: Interim Guidance for Home Health Aide Training Programs), all 16 hours of the required supervised practical training must be conducted in the skills laboratory, under the direct supervision of the an approved Nurse Instructor. Information can be found on the Health Commerce System (HCS). 

Any questions or concerns may be submitted to the following email address, with a cc to your regional office: 

HHA Training Programs: hhatp@health.ny.gov  
PCA Training Programs: pcatp@health.ny.gov 

DOH EVV Technical Survey

Today, DOH released an Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Technical Survey, available at the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HZVBT9Y 

The survey is intended to gather information on how organizations plan to submit EVV data to eMedNY. The intended participants of the survey are providers subject to EVV requirements, EVV vendors, Managed Care Organizations, and Verification Organizations.

This survey collects technical implementation data so you may need the assistance of your technical staff or software vendor to assist with your answers. Please fill out all questions as completely and accurately as possible. As you progress through the survey, questions will be tailored to the organization type and implementation status you identified in the first section. Individual responses will not be published.

Please submit your response by June 16, 2020.

DOH Holds Cost Report Relaunch Webinar

Today, June 2, the Department of Health (DOH/the Department) held its home care cost report Virtual Relaunch Cost Report Walk Through Session for providers.  The PowerPoint slides and recording of the relaunch session can be found in the cost report software tool tomorrow. A recording of the May 27 session also will be accessible within the cost report tool tomorrow.

Recently, DOH issued a Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) outlining the relaunch process, which can be found here.

In the DAL, DOH highlighted that the Cost Report is still required to be submitted using 2019 data for providers that receive Medicaid reimbursement related to personal care, CDPAP, and CHHA funding streams. Providers not required to complete the cost report include Assisted Living Program (ALP) only agencies, private pay only agencies and hospital-based CHHAs.  

The time frame for submission of the cost report will begin on June 3 when DOH and KPMG send to providers their log-in credentials for the tool.  The cost report will be due at the end of October. 

DOH and KPMG have committed to conducting extensive outreach and providing support to providers throughout the cost report submission and audit process.

Additional details are available in the DAL found here. 

COST REPORT RELAUNCH KEY DATES

June 3 – Cost Report Web-Based Tool Log-in Credentials issued via email. Providers can request additional log-in credentials for staff and consultants.
Mid-August – Audit Process Webinar
Late October – Cost Report Due

REMINDER: Join the NYS Department of Health, Thursday June 4th at 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM for a COVID-19 update for healthcare providers.

To accommodate the large number of participants, find our webinar streaming via YouTube Live (and available for viewing immediately thereafter) on the NYSDOH COVID website for providers:

 https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/weekly-healthcare-provider-update 

 For audio only, please dial in: 844-512-2950

Home Care Coordinator Workshop Goes Virtual!

Virtual seating is limited. Don't miss this opportunity for the first ever totally remote Coordinator Workshop. Register now!

In this year's virtual Home Care Coordinator Workshop, Andrea Brown of AB Coaching and Consulting will review information that represents the basics of home care coordination, mechanisms used, as well as best practices learned.

The information will be provided in four distinct sessions that will include lecture, discussion, small group activities and a question and answer segment. All four of these sessions will be held in a private zoom conference. The sessions will take place on June 9, June 16, June 23, and June 30 at 10:00-11:30 am.

Click here to register

New CHC Webinar - Explaining the PPP Loan Forgiveness Application Process

This Thursday, June 4 at 10:30 am, join Gary Brinster and Erika Calderon, of Brinster & Bergman, LLP, for an enlightening webinar on PPP loans! The PPP loan has created a lot of confusion and concern. Figuring out how the forgiveness works hasn’t been much better. In this webinar, Gary Brinster and Erika Calderon will explain the forgiveness application recently released by the SBA and answer any questions that you might have.

Click here to register

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, fees for this program have been reduced. Webinar fee is $49 for HCP members, and $99 for Prospective or Non-Members.