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September 17, 2026
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Next week will mark the three-month mark since HB479 passed appropriating $875 million (all funds) to pay nursing homes the amounts due as a result of the State ex rel. LeadingAge Ohio v. Ohio Dept. of Medicaid decision rendered by the Ohio Supreme Court in September 2025. While payments are anticipated imminently, this final timeline has been further stretched by procedural considerations imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). LeadingAge Ohio has been in regular contact with the Department of Medicaid leadership, which has regularly shared status updates. Unfortunately, unexpected requests from CMS have delayed the process and stretched the timeline.
At this point in time, we believe:
- Medicaid has prepared communications for providers, which will be distributed via the contacts listed for providers via the Provider Network Module (PNM) system.
- CMS has approved Ohio’s request to distribute both FFS and managed care portions of the payments directly to providers, with no managed care plan pass-through.
- CMS most recently requested Ohio file another waiver to permit it to issue payments that are 2+ years old. For this reason, ODM plans to issue payments in two tranches: one for QIP payments owed within the past two years, and once CMS approves this final waiver, a second tranche for the earlier payments. ODM did not disclose the cut-off date for the tranches.
- Most providers will receive payments directly in a similar manner to how they receive other Medicaid payments. Medicaid has not yet shared the level of detail that will be included with payments.
While Medicaid notes that payments could be made as early as this week or next, there could be other unforeseen delays. Additionally, while the aforementioned points represent our understanding as of today, it is likely that additional clarifying information will emerge.
We recommend nursing home members verify who their contact is listed in the PNM system, to ensure they know to share communications with leadership once they arrive, and stay tuned to your inbox, as LeadingAge Ohio will alert members once payments & communications have been issued. Questions regarding this may be directed to Susan Wallace at swallace@leadingageohio.org. Top You Asked: What information must be sent with a resident who is transferred to the emergency room?
We Answered: When a nursing home resident is transferred to the emergency department, federal requirements at 42 CFR §483.15(c)(2), F628 require the facility to communicate appropriate information to the receiving healthcare provider to support a safe and effective transition of care. The requirement is not simply to send the facility’s standard transfer form.
At a minimum, the information provided to the receiving provider must include:
- Contact information of the practitioner who was responsible for the care of the resident;
- Resident representative information, including contact information;
- Advance directive information;
- All special instructions and/or precautions for ongoing care, as appropriate such as:
- Treatments and devices (oxygen, implants, IVs, tubes/catheters);
- Transmission-based precautions such as contact, droplet, or airborne;
- Special risks such as risk for falls, elopement, bleeding, or pressure injury and/or aspiration precautions;
- The resident’s comprehensive care plan goals; and
- All other information necessary to meet the resident’s needs, which includes, but may not be limited to:
- Resident status, including baseline and current mental, behavioral, and functional status, reason for transfer, recent vital signs;
- Diagnoses and allergies;
- Medications (including when last received); and
- Most recent relevant labs, other diagnostic tests, and recent immunizations.
- Additional information, if any, outlined in the transfer agreement with the acute care provider See §483.70(j) for additional information.
Top LeadingAge Ohio is compiling a list of member organizations with event and meeting spaces available to host future LeadingAge Ohio events.
We’re interested in spaces that could accommodate a variety of gatherings, including board meetings, Leadership Academy sessions, committee meetings, educational programs, and awards ceremonies.
If your organization has a meeting or event space you’d be willing to make available, please share the details with us. We’d love to keep your organization in mind as we plan future events across Ohio.
Have a space to share? Let us know here. Questions can be directed to Molly Homan at mhoman@leadingageohio.org. The LeadingAge Ohio Political Action Committee (PAC) invites members, partners, and guests to spend Monday, September 28, 2026, at the Golf Club of Dublin for a day on the green that makes a difference.
More than just a round of golf, the annual PAC Outing combines spirited competition, camaraderie, and the chance to connect with colleagues and partners, all while enjoying a beautiful course setting. Every swing supports LeadingAge Ohio’s advocacy, ensuring older Ohioans and the professionals who serve them have a strong voice at the statehouse.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Both foursomes and individual golfers are welcome, and spots are available through Friday, September 25. Sponsorships are also open for those who want to further champion the PAC’s mission.
View full event details and register. For questions regarding sponsorship, please contact Corey Markham, Director of Education and Business Development, at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org.
Please note that contributions to Political Action Committees must be made by individuals, partnerships, or LLCs, not corporations, and are not tax-deductible. All contributions are voluntary and will not influence membership standing or benefits. Top LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan will step down March 31, 2027, after 10 years as the organization’s president and CEO and 10 years previously as chief operating officer. LeadingAge Board Chair Christie Hinrichs thanked Sloan for her service to members, state partners and aging services providers nationwide. Sloan will remain fully engaged through the transition, with no changes to daily operations, leadership responsibilities or current organizational priorities.
The LeadingAge Board has formed a CEO Search Committee to identify Sloan’s successor and expects to share additional information about the search process and timeline in the coming weeks. LeadingAge Ohio joins members and state partners across the country in thanking Sloan for two decades of leadership and service to nonprofit, mission-driven aging services. Read the full announcement from LeadingAge. LeadingAge and Ziegler have released the 23rd annual LeadingAge Ziegler 200 report, examining the nation’s 200 largest nonprofit senior living organizations as of Dec. 31, 2025. The 2026 report represents more than 300,000 market-rate units and nearly 1,650 communities and tracks growth, affiliations, acquisitions and changes across service lines. The report found that nonprofit senior living organizations continue to grow primarily through expansions at existing campuses and affiliation or acquisition activity.
Over the past 10 years, organizations included in the LZ 200 recorded average annual unit growth of 2.7%, with independent living and assisted living units increasing while the number of nursing care beds declined. The report also includes additional analyses of multisite systems, single-site campuses and organizations providing government-subsidized affordable housing. Read LeadingAge’s original announcement and explore the 2026 LZ 200 report. Top A panel at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Healthcare Transformation Summit focused on dementia care and prevention, with healthcare and community leaders emphasizing the importance of early intervention and support for caregivers.
Moderated by Bonnie Burman, former director of the Ohio Department of Aging, the panel featured Rep. Andrea White (R-Kettering), Dr. Doug Scharre of Ohio State University’s Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders, Pat Krebs of the Alzheimer’s Association Early Stage Advisory Group, and Jennifer Carlson, state director for AARP Ohio.
The discussion covered the differences between normal cognitive aging, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the importance of recognizing symptoms and pursuing early intervention. Scharre also highlighted research on modifiable risk factors for dementia, noting the connection between healthy lifestyle choices and brain health.
Panelists also discussed the broader economic impact of dementia and caregiving. White emphasized the potential long-term value of investing in prevention, while Carlson pointed to the significant demands placed on Ohio’s estimated 2.2 million caregivers, including the impact caregiving can have on employment and financial stability.
The panel also explored the concept of dementia-friendly communities, including how businesses, employers and community organizations can better accommodate individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. White noted that employers could consider how their benefit offerings support employees who are balancing work with caregiving responsibilities.
The discussion reinforced that dementia is not solely a healthcare issue, but also intersects with workforce, economic development, community planning and long-term services and supports.
The Ohio Chamber’s Healthcare Transformation Summit was held September 9 in Columbus and brought together healthcare, business and policy leaders to discuss issues affecting Ohio’s healthcare system. What You Need To Know
- The Ohio Department of Aging is beginning Phase II of the 2025-2026 Ohio Resident Satisfaction Survey for nursing facilities and assisted living facilities. The survey includes long- and short-term residents, and long-term care facilities are required to cooperate under Ohio Revised Code 173.47.
- Vital Research, the state’s survey contractor, began contacting Phase II facilities in August to schedule in-person interviews. Interviews begin in September and are scheduled to continue through February 2027. Facilities included in Phase II should expect direct outreach from Vital and must respond to complete scheduling.
- Interviewers will select a random sample of residents. Residents may be excluded only if they are in isolation, too ill to participate or have a documented refusal from a legal guardian. Facility staff cannot decline participation on a resident’s behalf. Residents who participate may stop the interview or skip a question at any time.
What Happens Next
- Vital will contact each facility to schedule its interview date and provide instructions for submitting resident census information. Facilities may also contact Vital at 888-628-3681 to schedule.
- Facilities should plan to notify residents and family representatives in advance of the interviews. Legal guardians who do not want a resident interviewed must notify the facility before the visit, and facilities are responsible for tracking those refusals.
- The Ohio Resident Satisfaction Survey project site includes census templates, sample notification materials, frequently asked questions, copies of the surveys and other facility resources.
What to Do
- Respond promptly when Vital contacts your facility and begin preparations at least three weeks before the scheduled interviews.
- Update contact information for resident representatives and include short-term and long-term residents, as well as residents living in memory care, when preparing census information.
- Follow the secure submission instructions provided for the census list. Do not send census lists or resident-identifying information through regular email. The facility documents page includes census templates, notification letters, sample surveys and other materials.
- On the day of the interviews, provide interviewers in person with the names of residents who are in isolation, residents whose legal guardians declined participation and residents living in memory care, if applicable. Do not email this information.
The Ohio Department of Aging will induct the 2026 Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame class Sept. 23 at the Ohio Statehouse. This year’s honorees are Nancy Bucci of Columbus; Padma Chebrolu of Lebanon; William T. McKarns of Hanoverton, honored posthumously; Ralph H. Smith of Niles; Nancy Stranahan of Hillsboro; former Gov. Bob Taft and former first lady Hope Taft of Spring Valley; and Merris A. Welge of Ontario. Their contributions span health care, the arts, agriculture, advocacy, conservation, economic development, community service and public service.
Established in 1977, the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame recognizes older Ohioans for significant contributions to their communities, professions and vocations. More than 500 Ohioans have been inducted. The Sept. 23 ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed through the Ohio Channel. Additional details are available on the Ohio Department of Aging’s Senior Citizens Hall of Fame webpage. Top The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging examined the growing use of artificial intelligence in fraud schemes targeting older adults during a July 29 hearing focused on deepfakes, voice cloning, chatbots and other AI-enabled scams. Committee members also released a report on AI and older adults outlining both potential benefits and risks. Testimony during the Senate hearing addressed consumer education, coordination among government and law enforcement, clearer disclosure when people interact with AI, centralized scam reporting and the use of technology to detect fraud.
Several bipartisan proposals introduced in Congress address related concerns, including a national strategy for combating scams and proposals focused on AI chatbot disclosures and centralized fraud reporting. For aging services providers, the discussion reinforces the importance of helping residents, clients, families and staff recognize AI-generated scams and understand where to report suspected fraud. Read LeadingAge’s full article on the Senate committee’s work for additional details and links to the federal proposals. LeadingAge is asking members to contact Congress regarding the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514/S. 1816), bipartisan legislation that would establish additional requirements for Medicare Advantage prior authorization. The House Ways and Means Committee approved H.R. 3514 in July, followed by action in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. LeadingAge continues to support passage of the legislation.
What Is Happening
- The legislation would modernize Medicare Advantage prior authorization processes and require additional transparency and reporting from plans.
- The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously advanced an amended H.R. 3514 on July 15. The amendment generally moves implementation of the prior authorization requirements to Jan. 1, 2029.
- The House Energy and Commerce Committee also advanced the legislation in July as part of a broader health care package.
- A Senate companion, S. 1816, is also part of the bipartisan, bicameral effort. LeadingAge lists both bills among its 2026 Medicare Advantage policy priorities.
Why It Matters
- Prior authorization can affect how quickly Medicare Advantage enrollees receive post-acute and other services.
- The legislation seeks to standardize prior authorization processes, increase transparency and provide additional information about how plans handle requests.
- LeadingAge has identified reducing Medicare Advantage administrative burden and improving timely access to services as federal policy priorities for aging services providers.
What to Do
- Members who want to participate in LeadingAge’s advocacy campaign can use the LeadingAge action alert to contact their congressional delegation.
- Providers can review LeadingAge’s 2026 policy priorities for additional information on Medicare Advantage reform.
- LeadingAge is asking participating members to request congressional consideration of H.R. 3514/S. 1816 before the end of 2026.
Top For facilities selected for a Risk-Based Survey (RBS), the entrance conference looks significantly different from the standard survey process. The RBS Entrance Conference Worksheet contains only 14 required items compared with 40 on the standard Entrance Conference Worksheet. Facilities should be familiar with both processes so staff can quickly recognize which worksheet applies and, importantly, the different timelines for providing requested information.
For an RBS, the facility must provide three items immediately upon entrance: the census, an alphabetical list of all residents noting anyone currently out of the facility, and the name of the staff member responsible for the Infection Prevention and Control Program. The survey team will then conduct a brief Entrance Conference with the Administrator. The Administrator is asked to notify both the Medical Director and Resident Council President that the survey is underway and that they have an opportunity to provide input to the survey team.
One of the most important differences in the RBS process is the one-hour deadline. Within one hour of entrance, the facility must provide the medication administration schedule, actual working schedules for all staff separated by department, key personnel information, the completed CMS-802 for all residents, EHR access for each surveyor, and QAA committee information.
For smaller facilities with 1–30 beds, the RBS worksheet also directs the facility to immediately identify residents who meet specific categories: a fall with major injury within the last 120 days; a current Stage 3, 4, or unstageable pressure ulcer not present on admission; tube feeding with weight loss or dehydration within the last 180 days; current dialysis, hospice, or ventilator use; and current facility-acquired transmission-based precautions with the infection identified.
LeadingAge Ohio members who have experienced an RBS have shared that information moves to the survey team much more quickly than during the standard survey process, making readiness and timely access to requested information especially important to a successful survey outcome. New Five-Star Reports from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are now available for nursing home providers in LeadingAge’s members-only Report Portal. These reports are based on the August 26 update to Nursing Home Care Compare. As this is only a monthly update, rather than a quarterly refresh, providers may see a change in their Health Inspection scores, but Staffing and Quality Measures will not change. The next quarterly refresh of the Five Star Quality Rating System will occur on October 28. The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) filed a revised replacement for Ohio Administrative Code 5160-3-18 on September 15 after receiving substantial stakeholder feedback. The proposal replaces the existing nursing facility ventilator program rule rather than amending it. ODM’s April filing materials described the redesign as extensive enough to require rescinding the current rule and adopting a new rule under the same number.
- The proposed rule creates three levels of respiratory support. Tier 1 covers basic noninvasive support such as CPAP and BPAP under the regular nursing facility per diem. Tier 2 covers complex noninvasive ventilation and adds a separate payment and prior authorization requirements. Tier 3 covers invasive mechanical ventilation under the ventilator payment methodology. Ventilator weaning remains a separate service and payment category.
- The redesign also adds more detailed requirements for respiratory therapy staffing, pulmonologist availability, designated ventilator units, clinical documentation, annual outcome reporting, billing and provider applications. ODM said earlier stakeholder feedback led to the addition of noninvasive ventilation coverage, some staffing flexibility, clearer tier criteria and more detailed documentation, outcome and billing provisions.
- LeadingAge Ohio’s April comments supported the proposed respiratory therapy staffing structure and prior authorization for complex noninvasive ventilation while requesting changes to the clinical criteria for Tier 2, including reducing the proposed six-hour daily use threshold to four hours and adding blood gas criteria. The Sept. 15 filing should be reviewed to determine how those recommendations and subsequent public comments were addressed.
What Happens Next
- The rule is at the original-file stage. The current version of OAC 5160-3-18, effective December 31, 2020, remains the published effective rule while the replacement proceeds through Ohio’s rulemaking process.
- Providers should watch for the public hearing, final filing and confirmed effective date. The revised filing will determine the final clinical, staffing, documentation, payment and prior authorization requirements.
What to Do
- Nursing facilities participating in or considering the ventilator program should begin comparing current operations with the proposed requirements, particularly respiratory staffing, physical plant standards, clinical documentation, Tier 2 prior authorization and billing.
- Continue following the current rule until the replacement becomes effective, while preparing policies and workflows for the new requirements.
- Review ODM’s draft rule and Business Impact Analysis and LeadingAge Ohio’s comments on OAC 5160-3-18. The Sept. 15 Register of Ohio filing contains the filed rule and associated rulemaking documents.
Top LeadingAge Ohio congratulates member National Church Residences as plans move forward for St. Catherine’s Point, a $22 million senior housing development in Cincinnati’s Pendleton neighborhood near Over-the-Rhine. The project recently received city approval following revisions to its design and is being developed by National Church Residences in partnership with Urban Sites.
The updated design includes additional brick, a simplified color palette and a distinctive flatiron-style frontage along the eastern edge of the development. Berardi + Partners is serving as the project architect. The approval marks another step forward in National Church Residences’ continued work to expand housing opportunities for older adults in Ohio. Read more from Local 12 and the Cincinnati Business Courier. Congratulations to LeadingAge Ohio member United Church Homes, whose NaviGuide program has earned a two-year National Committee for Quality Assurance Case Management for Long-Term Services and Supports accreditation, effective through Aug. 18, 2028. The recognition provides independent validation that NaviGuide’s case management program meets NCQA standards for areas including comprehensive and person-centered assessments, care transitions, critical incident management and quality improvement. For NaviGuide, which supports older adults and families through service coordination and participates in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services GUIDE Model for people living with dementia and their caregivers, the accreditation provides an additional quality credential for the systems supporting its care navigation work.
Other organizations that coordinate long-term services and supports may also pursue the accreditation. NCQA says eligible organizations must have been operating for at least six months and may include home- and community-based organizations, Area Agencies on Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Centers for Independent Living and case management organizations. The process begins with an NCQA program consultation, followed by review of the standards, a gap analysis, application and survey; NCQA says the typical process takes about 12 months depending on readiness. Accreditation can also support contracting by demonstrating that an organization’s LTSS coordination processes have been reviewed against standards aligned with state and managed care organization needs. Providers can review NCQA’s accreditation requirements and application process and read United Church Homes’ original NaviGuide announcement for more information. Top Enrollment is now open for the Winter 2027 session of the Core of Knowledge, a program designed for Administrators-in-Residence that fulfills the academic requirement set by the Board of Executives of Long-Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) for qualifying to sit for the state licensure board examination to become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA).
The three-week course will be held January 11–28, 2027, Monday through Thursday, at the OCLC Conference Center. This is one of only two opportunities to complete the required coursework in 2027.
The deadline to register is December 11, 2025. Learn more and register for the 2027 Winter Core of Knowledge. For additional information, contact Corey Markham at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org. 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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Upcoming Events
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September 17, 2026
1:00PM - 2:00PM | Webinar Series |
| September 17, 2026
2:30PM - 3:30PM | Webinar Series |
| September 21, 2026
10:00AM - 10:30AM | Webinar |
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