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LeadingAge Iowa is a statewide membership organization of non-profit providers of aging services and supports and the champion for advancement and innovation in aging services. Our mission is to be the voice, support and connector for non-profit members and the people they serve. Our membership is diverse, representing the spectrum of non-profit long-term support and service providers including skilled nursing, assisted and independent living, PACE, home health, adult day, respite, hospice and home delivered meals. Our members serve over 25,000 older adults in Iowa each day.

CMS Revises Several Regulations in Appendix PP

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) released a Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (QSO) Memo on November 18, 2024. QSO-25-07-NH incorporates revised Appendix PP regulations including Admission, Transfer & Discharge, Chemical Restraints/Unnecessary Psychotropic Medication, Resident Assessment, Quality of Life and Quality of Care, Administration, Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI), Infection Prevention and Control, and other areas including clarifications and technical corrections have also been made throughout Appendix PP. The memo lists an effective date of February 24, 2025, and surveyor resources will be finalized and released on that date as well. Advanced copies are currently available and included in the memo. The revised guidance is outlined below.

Federal Judge Rules in Favor of LeadingAge State Affiliates

On June 18, federal judge Leonard T. Strand issued a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs to vacate the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) staffing standards included in the final rule. The plaintiffs, including 17 LeadingAge State affiliates, two Kansas nursing home providers, and 20 states attorneys general filed to vacate the staffing mandate final rule in its entirety. Similar to the case in Texas filed by LeadingAge and American Health Care Association (AHCA), the plaintiffs argued that CMS lacks the statutory authority to issue such a rule, that the rule is contrary to law, and the provisions are arbitrary and capricious. Judge Strand ruled in favor of the plaintiffs as it relates to the minimum staffing hours and the 24/7 RN requirements. However, Judge Strand ruled in favor of HHS/CMS regarding the facility assessment and state Medicaid reporting requirements.