In the early morning hours of Thursday, May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the federal budget measure by a single vote. The vote came after a marathon push that kept lawmakers debating the bill through two successive nights as House Speaker Mike Johnson made tweaks to satisfy various factions of his party. Speaker Johnson made changes to address conservatives' concerns, pulling forward new work requirements for Medicaid recipients to take effect at the end of 2026, two years earlier than before. That would kick several million people off the program, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The bill also would penalize states that expand Medicaid in the future. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it will likely be changed further during weeks of debate.
LeadingAge’s focus now turns to the Senate for advocacy. Members are encouraged to reach out to Senators Moreno and Husted via the LeadingAge Action Center.
Please join LeadingAge in asking your U.S. Senators not to enact the House-passed bill's damaging proposals by clicking on this Action Alert. LeadingAge state executives from across the country signed on to a May 8, 2025, letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Secretary Dr. Mehmet Oz, calling for current restrictions placed on Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) Funds to be lifted in order to maintain state-level innovation and effectiveness.
Specifically, the letter asks for the removal of a $5,000 grant cap for awards that facilities can receive, and lifting the prohibition on utilizing the grants for technology investments. LeadingAge also asks that funding authority be returned to the states to ensure flexibility and discretion, to allow for local solutions to local challenges. The letter goes on to state that these restrictions constrain the scale of meaningful projects and ignore the modern tools essential to delivering person-centered, high-quality care. These Biden-era restrictions have severely hindered the flow of funding to programs to improve the quality of care in the nation’s nursing homes.
The letter was signed by every one of the LeadingAge state affiliates, and coincides with an amendment being proposed by LeadingAge Ohio that would create an advisory board of providers and associations to oversee Ohio’s CMP program.
The full text of the letter can be found here. The deadline to submit nominations for the 2025 LeadingAge Ohio Annual Awards is tomorrow, May 23, and we would love to have you submit a nomination for your outstanding colleagues and/or innovative organizations!
These awards are a great way to celebrate the great work and dedication your organizations, employees, or colleagues have done to care for our older Ohioans. Awards will be presented at the LeadingAge Ohio Annual Conference in August.
If you're interested in nominating an individual or member organization, please click here.
Below are the nominating categories and you can review descriptions for each award by clicking here.
- Impact Award (can nominate an individual OR organization)
- Emerging Leader Award
- Excellence in Caring Award
- Heart of Hospice Award
- Visionary Leadership Award of Honor
Please reach out to Randi Hamill at rhamill@leadingageohio.org if you have any questions or need additional information! Top You Asked:
What is the charge nurse requirement for a nursing home?
We Answered:
Under F725 §483.35 Nursing Services, the facility must designate a licensed nurse to serve as a charge nurse on each tour of duty, unless they have a waiver. CMS defines charge nurse as a licensed nurse with specific responsibilities designated by the facility that may include staff supervision, emergency coordinator, physician liaison, as well as direct resident care. The Long-Term Care Survey Process instructs surveyors to ask staff if they are aware of who the charge nurse is on their shift. Additional guidance can be found in the revised QSO-25-14- NH memo. Top In this month’s edition of Advocacy in Action, participants received an update on where things stand with the FY26-27 state operating budget, as well as an update on the federal budget reconciliation process.
The policy team shared that House Bill 96, the state operating budget, has gone through the first round of committee hearings in the Senate, and that the amendment submission deadline to make initial changes to the bill was Friday, May 16. LeadingAge Ohio submitted amendments on our priority initiatives, which include creating a blended PDPM case mix; increasing the hospice pass-through reimbursement from the current 95 percent rate; adding direct care careers to the Individual Micro-credential Assistance Program (IMAP); and the expansion and timeliness of enrollment to PACE.
On the federal side, participants learned that the U.S. House Budget Committee narrowly passed a budget reconciliation package the evening of May 18, 2025. The budget package’s next stop will be consideration before the House Rules and Reference Committee mid-week, followed by passage of the full chamber by week’s end, if all goes according to the majority caucus’s plans. Of major concern are provisions that would severely reduce Medicaid retroactive coverage from three months to one, crack downs on state-directed payments, the increase of frequency of eligibility checks (twice yearly instead of once), and the freeze of state provider taxes.
Please register to join us on June 16, 2025, for the next Advocacy in Action monthly call.
For more information on the state and federal budgets, contact Eli Faes at efaes@leadingageohio.org.
To listen to a recording of the Advocacy in Action call from May 19, please click here. LeadingAge Ohio extends a sincere thank you to all members who participated in our biennial member survey. Your feedback is invaluable, and it plays a critical role in guiding our priorities and shaping the future of our association.
We're proud to share that LeadingAge Ohio maintains a strong Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 67—an encouraging sign of your continued trust and support. While satisfaction remains high in key areas such as communications, overall member benefits, and access to expert information, we’ve also noted a slight decline in these scores compared to 2023. This valuable insight helps us identify where we can better meet your needs.
Members also highlighted a need for expanded educational offerings, particularly on Minimum Data Set (MDS) topics. In addition, our hospice members continue to express appreciation for the personalized one-on-one training and consulting services provided by our team.
We invite all members to join us for the All-Member Webinar on June 17 at 11:30AM, where we’ll review more survey results and outline how LeadingAge Ohio plans to respond.
Don't miss this opportunity to see how your voice is making a difference. Stay engaged, stay informed, and register today for the All-Member Webinar. At 96 years young, Jack Scott—a remarkable resident at Eastern Star Home—sits down with host Susan Wallace to reflect on a notable life shaped by war, love, and purpose, as the next episode celebrating Older Americans Month. Growing up during wartime in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Jack shares how a twist of fate (a request to pick up his friend's recent ex-girlfriend) led him to meet his beloved wife. From his time in the Air Force to his impactful career as an industrial arts teacher, Jack’s journey is filled with insight, humor, and heart. He also passes along some of the mottos that have guided him through life, including a favorite: "Pray like it depends on God, and work like it depends on Jack.”
Listen to this latest episode of Another Word for Living… here or on any major podcasting platform. LeadingAge Ohio’s 2025 Annual Conference and Tradeshow, “Ripples of Impact,” reflects the profound influence each of us can have on our organizations, our communities, and the lives of older adults. This conference delivers a front-row seat to the most pressing topics in aging services.
Attendees will gain actionable insights, hear from game-changing leaders and experts, and leave equipped to face the challenges of today while preparing for the opportunities of tomorrow. Join us for this dynamic event, where every keynote, breakout session, and connection made has the power to spark transformation ripples of impact in your organization and beyond!
Registration opens early June. Learn more today! We’re excited to announce the launch of the DON Network, an exclusive space for Directors of Nursing to connect, collaborate, and grow together. Join your peers and Stephanie DeWees, LeadingAge Ohio’s Quality and Regulatory Specialist, for the network’s kickoff session on Thursday, May 29 at 2:00 PM.
The DON Network provides a valuable forum to exchange ideas and insights on critical topics such as:
- Survey preparedness and regulatory trends
- Staffing challenges and retention strategies
- Time management and workflow optimization
- Falls with major injury
- Rehospitalizations
- Leadership development and best practices
- And much more!
This network is free and open to all LeadingAge Ohio members. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with fellow nursing leaders, share resources, and strengthen your impact.
Join the conversation via Zoom on May 29! There's always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio, and we don’t want you to miss a moment. From educational opportunities to networking events, our calendar is packed with ways for members to stay informed, engaged, and connected.
Explore what's ahead and make plans to join us—whether you're looking to expand your knowledge, connect with peers, or get involved in shaping the future of aging services in Ohio.
View all upcoming events here and mark your calendar today!
Top LeadingAge is voicing strong support for key affordable housing provisions recently advanced in Congress, while opposing the broader federal budget reconciliation package due to its harmful impact on healthcare access because of cuts to Medicaid.
On May 14 and May 18, the House Ways and Means Committee and House Budget Committee, respectively, advanced tax policy changes that include three significant improvements to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)—the nation’s primary tool for developing affordable housing. LeadingAge praised these specific provisions, which would:
- Increase the LIHTC volume cap
- Lower the threshold for bond financing
- Provide a basis boost for rural and Native American tribal areas
These enhancements are projected to support the creation of over half a million additional affordable homes, benefiting older adults with low incomes and other underserved populations.
LeadingAge joined other housing organizations in a coalition letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, emphasizing the importance of these provisions in addressing the urgent need for affordable senior housing across the country.
At the same time, LeadingAge expressed strong opposition to the broader reconciliation bill, which proposes deep Medicaid cuts that could block healthcare access for millions of Americans, including many older adults.
To read more about LeadingAge’s position and the coalition’s advocacy efforts, click here. Top While the state operating budget commands much attention this time of year, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other bills winding their way through the legislative process. The LeadingAge Ohio policy team is actively tracking several pieces of legislation that may affect or be of interest to our members. To review the bills being tracked, please click here. Top On May 20, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its full cost estimate—or “score”—for the latest federal budget reconciliation package, detailing the fiscal impact of proposed spending reductions and revenue changes.
Of particular concern to LeadingAge and its members are the significant cuts to Medicaid, reflected in the provisions passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. These cuts are outlined under the Title IV section of the CBO score and include several newly scored provisions:
- A freeze on provider taxes
- Caps on state-directed payments
- A prohibition on provider taxes that fail to meet generally distributive principles, through changes to the waiver of uniformity
Previously, only the provider tax freeze had been scored, with an estimated $87 billion in savings over ten years. With the addition of the other two provisions, total projected savings now approach $200 billion over the same period.
When combined with other Medicaid policy changes, the total cuts to Health provisions overseen by the Energy and Commerce Committee exceed $803 billion over ten years—a development that raises serious concerns for providers and the older adults they serve.
LeadingAge will continue to monitor these developments and advocate strongly against policies that jeopardize Medicaid access and support for long-term care providers. Top F-tag 690 is now the second most frequently cited Immediate Jeopardy tag and eighth most cited for actual harm in Ohio during 2025 surveys. In accordance with the bowel and bladder incontinence guidance at §483.25(e)(1), the facility must ensure that a resident who is continent of bladder and bowel on admission receives services and assistance to maintain continence unless his or her clinical condition is or becomes such that continence is not possible to maintain. Additionally, a resident who is incontinent of bladder receives appropriate treatment and services to prevent urinary tract infections and to restore continence to the extent possible. The Long-Term Care Survey Process instructs surveyors to determine if the facility adequately identifies the resident’s continence history (e.g., nursing or therapy notes, pharmacist reports, lab reports, and flow sheets) and if the assessment reflects the status of the resident, specifically:
- Patterns of incontinent episodes, daily voiding/elimination patterns or prior routines;
- Fluid intake/hydration status, skin integrity and cognitive status;
- Clinical conditions that may affect continence;
- Medications that may affect continence that could reflect adverse drug reactions;
- Symptoms for bladder incontinence, including the type of incontinence (stress, urge, overflow, mixed, functional, or transient incontinence), potential reversible/irreversible causes and risks;
- Symptoms and type of bowel incontinence including the type, frequency, and amount of stool, potential reversible/irreversible causes and, risks;
- Factors contributing to chronically recurring or persistent UTIs;
- Functional status including balance, muscle strength, transfer and ambulation ability, and the type, frequency and amount of physical assistance necessary to facilitate toileting; and
- Adaptive equipment or accommodations to maintain continence, such as access to the toilet, call bell, type of clothing or continence products, ambulation devices (walkers, canes).
CMS has updated the survey resources on the CMS Nursing Home webpage in accordance with the revised QSO-25-14- NH memo. LeadingAge Ohio encourages facilities to monitor compliance using the surveyor guidance found in the State Operations Manual Appendix PP. Additionally, the survey pathways can be found in the Survey Resources zip file on the CMS Nursing Home webpage and under the downloads section on this CMS webpage. LeadingAge has developed webinars and resources on the requirements of participation which are located on the LeadingAge learning hub. LeadingAge continues to add QuickCasts on the regulatory groups. Updated resources have also been added on the Nursing Home RoP Tools and Resources webpage.
For more information about the requirements of participation and citations occurring in Ohio, please join us on the monthly STAT: Survey Tips and Tactics call. Register now for the June 11 call at 11:00AM. LeadingAge Ohio is sharing tips to assist members during the survey process. Send questions you would like addressed in future Tips of the Week to Stephanie DeWees at sdewees@leadingageohio.org. Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Top
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