CMS issues bulletin about continuous enrollment provision
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Thursday issued an informational bulletin about the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision included in the $1.7 billion omnibus bill signed last week.

The bill updates various Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program provisions including significant changes to the continuous enrollment condition of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Under the omnibus bill, expiration of the continuous enrollment condition will no longer be tied to the public health emergency and instead is ending Friday, March 31.

Following the end of the condition, states will have 12 months to initiate and 14 months to complete a renewal for people enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP and the Basic Health Program.

CMS releases guidance for rural emergency hospital enrollment
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued instructions for submitting electronic and paper applications for eligible hospitals to convert to a rural emergency hospital. CMS also issued guidance to Medicare administrative contractors about processing rural emergency hospital enrollment applications and updating payment systems to process rural emergency hospital claims.

Register for discharge planning webinar
Ensuring patients health care needs are being met after discharge from the hospital is an important part of treatment. The fourth of IHA’s 2023 regulatory webinars will focus on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ regulations governing hospital discharge planning. Nancy Ruzicka, a consultant on state and federal compliance, will lead the webinar.

Participants will discuss:

• Applicability and use of surveyor discharge-planning worksheets.
• Basic requirements of discharge-planning conditions of participation.
• New interpretative guidelines and regulatory changes.

The Discharge Planning webinar is scheduled from 10 a.m.-noon Tuesday, March 28. Email Tori Hanson at IHA with questions.

Patrick Peters tapped as Maquoketa administrator
Genesis Health named Patrick Peters administrator of Jackson County Regional Health Center in Maquoketa beginning Monday, Feb. 6.

Peters has more than 30 years of health care experience, most recently as CEO of Guthrie County Hospital. During Peters’ tenure, Guthrie County Hospital was named one of the top 20 critical access hospitals in the country by the National Rural Health Association.

Peters is replacing Jean Hayes, chief nursing officer, who has been interim CEO since July.