All Maryland Nursing Facilities (NFs) have received information from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) concerning the elimination of Medicaid reimbursement for holding a bed for hospitalized residents, effective July 1, 2012. This included a June 15, 2012 Memorandum to Nursing Home Administrators from Jane Sacco, Chief of the Division of Long Term Care Services at the Office of Health Services. If you do not have a copy of that Memorandum, please contact us and we can provide one. That Memorandum not only addressed Medicaid regulations on this topic. It also referred to notice and readmission requirements under the federal Requirements of Participation and state regulations pertaining to the rights of residents. It mentioned that a Nursing Home Transmittal on this subject is being developed.

Ober|Kaler will also be developing some guidance. We have already been working with individual facilities to review existing policies, procedures and admission agreement provisions affected by this change. Areas that should be addressed include, for example...