Secure COVID-19 relief funds for your skilled nursing facility
Has your skilled nursing facility been diligent in tracking infection control and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, your facility could be eligible for a portion of the $2 billion in relief funds being distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Additional details on how SNFs can receive incentive payments were recently released.
Eligibility for incentives
Previously, HHS announced that SNFs would be eligible for incentive payments based on how well they were able to control rates of COVID-19 infections, as well as COVID-19 mortality rates. HHS clarified the requirements last month, stating that facilities had to show that their rates of COVID-19 infections were lower than their countiesrates of infection. The death rate among residents within the facility who tested positive for COVID-19 also had to be below a national performance threshold for mortality within nursing homes.
Those two measures serve as a gateway for participation in the incentive program. Each month, facilities must meet those two criteria to receive incentive payments. Eligible facilities will have their performances evaluated, with infection rates accounting for 80 percent of the incentive payment. Calculations will be made by dividing the facility’s number of non-admission COVID-19 infections by the total number of resident-weeks reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). The mortality rate will be calculated for any facility that reported at least one non-admission COVID-19 infection.
Tracking your facility’s incentive eligibility
How can you track your facility’s COVID-19 infections accurately to help qualify for relief funds? Many SNFs are turning to ABILITY INFECTIONWATCH® to carefully track resident symptoms, infections and infection control measures. The application allows you to map infections within your facility and monitor data in real time to keep infection rates lower and maximize protection for residents and staff. ABILITY INFECTIONWATCH also helps administrators pull infection information and track the documentation required by NHSN.
Another application that can help SNFs qualify for COVID-19 incentives is ABILITY CAREWATCH®. Facilities using ABILITY CAREWATCH to manage quality and QAPI incentives can more easily manage their Medicare and Medicaid licensing. Current licensing is required to receive incentive payments.
Staying up to date with infection reporting
COVID-19 incentive payments can help skilled nursing facilities like yours invest more in testing and PPE to keep residents and staff safe. Learn more about how ABILITY INFECTIONWATCH and ABILITY CAREWATCH can help your facility qualify for payments.
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