Member Login
Search

CMS Requires Nursing Home POC Test Reporting to NHSN

HHS has announced that effective immediately, nursing homes must now report point-of-care COVID-19 testing conducted in the nursing home through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) COVID-19 module. This new reporting process updates the June 4 HHS Lab Data Reporting Requirements that required labs, including nursing homes conducting point-of-care testing, to report testing data to state and local health departments. Please note that the announcement linked above has been updated, though the date remains “June 4, 2020.”  The relevant updated portion of the guidance states: 

“CMS-certified long-term care facilities shall submit point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 testing data, including antigen testing data, to CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).  This requirement to submit data to CDC’s NHSN applies only to CMS-certified long-term care facilities. Test data submitted to NHSN will be reported to appropriate state and local health departments using standard electronic laboratory messages. Other types of LTC facilities may voluntarily report testing data in NHSN for self-tracking or to fulfill state or local reporting requirements, if any.” 

This requirement to report data through NHSN applies only to CMS-certified nursing homes and requires Level 3 security access through NHSN. CMS states that they will exercise enforcement flexibility until November 20, 2020 for those nursing homes that can show that they have made a good faith attempt to acquire the necessary security upgrade.

CDC has been working with nursing homes over the past several weeks to complete security upgrades, a process that can take up to 4 weeks. In Iowa, 133 Nursing Homes still need to secure SAMS Level 3 Access.  The CDC outlines the process for upgrading to Level 3 here.  Nursing homes that have not yet completed or initiated security enhancement should email [email protected] immediately to begin this process.

NHSN has added the following instructions on the new POC Testing Reporting to the LTC COVID-19 Module Webpage: 

However, the trainings on the NHSN Point of Care Test Reporting Tool scheduled for Thursday October 22nd and Friday October 23rd were cancelled.  NHSN intends to reschedule the training; the new dates and times will be communicated as soon as they are identified. In the meantime, questions related to the NHSN Point of Care Test Reporting Tool for long-term care facilities can be sent to [email protected] with the subject line of “POC test reporting.”

Finally, the CDC has updated their Nursing Home Antigen Testing Guidance to reflect that reporting should be done to NHSN.  LAI has contacted IDPH and the Governor’s Office to ensure they are aware of the change and to receive confirmation that the state agrees that CMS-certified LTC providers should begin reporting to NHSN as soon as Level 3 clearance has been secured, but no response has been received yet.