You Asked: What are the most common reasons a facility fails a post-payment review audit?
We Answered: During a Medicare Administrative Contractor call yesterday, the Celerian Group Company (CGS) noted that three common errors identified during an audit include:
- Not following coding guidelines
- Improper coding
- Documentation provided does not support codes billed
These types of audit findings and other common errors will be discussed during the LeadingAge Ohio 2026 Reimbursement Day occurring on November 16, 2026. Registration is available on the LeadingAge Ohio Learning Center. Top Calling all members with event space! LeadingAge Ohio is looking for host sites for our 2027 STARS celebrations, and we’d love to celebrate with you!
As the STARS program continues to grow, we’re excited to bring these celebrations to communities across Ohio. Hosting is a great way to support the program and help us recognize the outstanding people making a difference in aging services.
Host sites must be able to accommodate at least 100 guests, provide audio capabilities and provide meals for the celebration. Don’t worry about coordinating all the details—LeadingAge Ohio will manage event logistics, reimburse meal costs and work closely with hosts throughout the planning process.
Celebrations are expected to take place between mid-March and May 2027, depending on venue availability. The Awards Committee will review applications and determine the best approach for hosting celebrations across the state. Applicants will be notified of decisions by December 4.
Interested in hosting? Apply by October 30! We’d love to partner with you to make the 2027 STARS celebrations special!
Questions? Contact Molly Homan at mhoman@leadingageohio.org. On Nov. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., LeadingAge Ohio will host AI for Senior Living: Practical Tools, Compliance, and Competitive Advantage at Quest Conference Center in Westerville with Hartman Executive Advisors. The full-day program will cover AI use cases, implementation, data and predictive analytics, cybersecurity, governance, privacy and compliance, followed by a panel of Ohio providers discussing how their organizations are using AI, where they remain cautious, and what they have learned. View the full agenda and register for Technology Day. Reimbursement is revenue. Every missed clinical detail can mean dollars left unclaimed, while coding that is not fully supported by documentation can put already-earned reimbursement at risk. LeadingAge Ohio’s 2026 Reimbursement Day will focus on both sides of the equation: capturing the full clinical picture through accurate MDS and PDPM coding and building the documentation needed to protect those dollars when Medicare, Medicaid or a contractor starts asking questions.
Set for Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Quest Conference Center in Westerville, this full-day program will follow the money from the factors that drive reimbursement through coding, documentation, medical review and audit response. Attendees will work through real-world scenarios and common vulnerabilities, including what happens when reimbursement opportunities are missed and what providers need when CGS comes calling.
Review the agenda and details for 2026 Reimbursement Day: Maximizing Reimbursement — Coding, Documentation and Audit Readiness and plan to bring the team members responsible for capturing, supporting, and defending reimbursement. LeadingAge Ohio is accepting applications for the 2027 Leadership Academy, a seven-month program designed to develop leaders across aging services. Open to employees of provider and associate member organizations, the Academy has graduated more than 150 leaders since 2013.
Two competitive tuition scholarships are available for fellows from member organizations new to the Academy or those that have not participated in recent years. Applications are due Nov. 30, 2026. Review the Leadership Academy program details and apply for the 2027 cohort. There’s always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio. View upcoming events and mark your calendar today.
- November 3, 11:30 a.m. - Shop Talk: Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living
- November 3, 1 p.m. - Membership Committee
- November 5, 9 a.m. - LeadingAge Ohio Budget & Finance Committee
- November 5, 10 a.m. - Advocacy Committee
- November 6, 10 a.m. - Marketing Roundtable
- November 10, 10 a.m. - Awards Committee
- November 10, 11:30 a.m. - Shop Talk: Home Health & Hospice
- November 10, 11: 30 a.m. - Uniform Grant Regulations’ Changes: How You can Prepare for What’s Next
- November 11, 11 a.m. - STAT: Survey Tips and Tactics - Abuse Investigation Pitfalls
- November 12, 10 a.m. - LeadingAge Ohio Board of Directors Meeting
- November 13, 1 p.m. - LeadingAge Ohio Foundation Board Meeting
- November 16, 9 a.m. - 2026 Reimbursement Day - Maximizing Reimbursement: Coding, Documentation, and Audit Readiness
- November 17, 10 a.m. - Professional Development Committee
- November 17, 11:30 a.m. - Shop Talk: Affordable Senior Housing
- November 18, 9 a.m. - AI for Senior Living: Practical Tools, Compliance, and Competitive Advantage
- November 24, 11:30 a.m. - Advocacy in Action
- December 1, 4-6 p.m. - Cleveland Regional Network Gathering
- December 3, 4-6 p.m. - Toledo Regional Network Gathering
- December 8, 4-6 p.m. - Cincinnati Regional Network Gathering
Top LeadingAge's Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program connects early- and mid-stage startups with member communities for a two-week immersive experience. Announced in spring 2026, the initiative gives entrepreneurs opportunities to shadow staff, engage with residents and experience daily operations firsthand. The goal is to develop products and services that respond to the needs of older adults and aging services providers.
LeadingAge member organizations interested in hosting an entrepreneur can contact Michael Hughes, vice president of strategic growth and partnership, at MHughes@LeadingAge.org. Applications are reviewed monthly, and participating organizations are matched with entrepreneurs based on their goals and needs.
Learn more about LeadingAge's Entrepreneur in Residence program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is scheduled to release updated October 2026 Five-Star ratings on Nursing Home Care Compare today, Oct. 28. Nursing home preview reports have been available in iQIES since Oct. 21. LeadingAge Ohio members can use the LeadingAge Report Portal, a complimentary member benefit, to compare their Five-Star ratings, staffing, health inspection and quality measure results against previous performance and other providers.
The portal also offers quality benchmarking reports for home health and hospice providers, helping members monitor performance, identify areas for improvement and support quality improvement initiatives. Reports are updated as new CMS data become available, although the October figures may not appear immediately. Members can access the LeadingAge Report Portal to review available reports and monitor for updated data. Additional information about the October release is available in the CMS Five-Star reporting notice. Top The Ohio Department of Aging will host its next Aging Network Data Forum on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 11 a.m. This quarterly virtual series provides aging services professionals and community partners with access to data resources, research and tools that support program planning and decision-making.
The November session will feature findings from the 2025 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey, including a demonstration of its public data dashboard; the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's multifamily rental properties dashboard, which includes affordable housing developments serving older adults; and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool, which combines population, infrastructure and hazard data to support emergency preparedness. The forum is open to stakeholders who work with or use aging-related data.
Register for the November 17 Aging Network Data Forum. Questions may be directed to Age_PAE@age.ohio.gov. Top The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched its $275 million Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative on Oct. 23 to recruit and retain nurses in nursing homes experiencing workforce shortages. The nationwide program offers financial incentives to eligible nurses who commit to working in qualifying facilities, including nursing homes across Ohio.
What You Need To Know
- Financial incentives: Eligible registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) may receive up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and/or a $10,000 stipend.
- Service commitment: Participating nurses must work at least 30 hours per week for three years at a qualifying nursing home.
- Facility eligibility: The program prioritizes rural communities and areas experiencing significant nursing shortages. Ohio facilities are included on the CMS list of qualifying nursing homes.
What Happens Next
- Recruitment assistance: CMS workforce partners will connect eligible nurses with participating nursing homes to help fill vacancies.
- Program participation: Nursing homes do not apply for eligibility. CMS determines qualifying facilities, while nurses apply individually for financial incentives.
- National collaboration: LeadingAge is working with state partners to connect eligible member nursing homes with organizations coordinating nurse recruitment.
What to Do
Read LeadingAge's coverage of the program launch for additional information. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announced 70 Phase 1 winners of its Cultivating Connected Communities Prize Challenge on Oct. 23. The national initiative supports projects that make community gardens more accessible to older adults and people with disabilities, expanding opportunities for physical activity, access to nutritious food and community participation.
Each winning team will receive $4,000 to support improvements such as accessible raised garden beds, adaptive gardening tools and inclusive programming. Teams may earn an additional $8,000 based on their implementation results, with Phase 2 submissions due in May 2027. The challenge website includes the full list of winners and project details.
Read the original announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Top Residents have a right to organize and participate in resident groups in accordance with §483.10(f)(5), F565. Common citations have been a result of the facility failing to address concerns brought up at the resident council meetings. The resident council interview is a mandatory task of the Long-Term Care Survey Process (LTCSP). CMS instructs surveyors to review three months of minutes prior to the interview to identify any unresolved areas of concern to discuss during the meeting.
CMS defines the resident council as a group of residents or residents’ family members that meet regularly to:
- Discuss and offer suggestions about facility policies and procedures affecting residents’ care, treatment, and quality of life;
- Support each other;
- Plan resident and family activities;
- Participate in educational activities; or
- For any other purpose.
This requirement does not require that residents organize a resident or family group. However, whenever residents or their families wish to organize, they must be able to do so without interference. Additionally, they must be provided space, privacy for meetings, and staff support. The designated staff person responsible for assistance and liaison between the group and the facility’s administration and any other staff members may attend the meeting only if invited by the resident or family group. The residents or family groups may meet without staff present. The groups should determine how frequently they meet.
Facility staff are required to consider resident and family group views and act upon grievances and recommendations. Facility staff must consider these recommendations and attempt to accommodate them, to the extent practicable. This may include developing or changing policies affecting resident care and life. Facility staff should discuss its decisions with the resident and/or family group and document in writing its response and rationale as required under 42 CFR §483.10(j), F585, Grievances. Top 
LeadingAge Ohio congratulates Susan DiMickele, President and CEO of Columbus-based National Church Residences, on her appointment to the 2027 LeadingAge National Board of Directors, announced during the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. DiMickele brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, affordable housing and aging services to the national board. Since becoming CEO in 2023, she has led one of the nation's largest nonprofit providers of affordable housing and services for older adults.
In announcing her appointment, DiMickele expressed her commitment to advancing LeadingAge's mission alongside fellow board members and nonprofit providers nationwide. LeadingAge Ohio congratulates Susan on this well-deserved appointment and thanks her for representing Ohio's mission-driven aging services community on the national stage.
Learn more about Susan DiMickele and the National Church Residences leadership team. 
Jill Wilson, President and CEO of LeadingAge Ohio member Otterbein SeniorLife, received the 2026 LeadingAge Award of Honor on Oct. 27 during the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The association's highest individual recognition honors leaders whose vision and contributions have made a lasting impact on aging services nationwide. Wilson was recognized for more than three decades of leadership, innovation and commitment to nonprofit aging services.
Since becoming CEO in 2009, Wilson has guided Otterbein's growth into a multistate organization serving more than 10,000 people annually across 23 locations in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. A past chair of LeadingAge Ohio, she has also contributed to national aging services leadership, championed the preservation of nonprofit organizations and mentored leaders throughout the field. LeadingAge Ohio congratulates Jill on this well-deserved honor and thanks her for her extraordinary contributions to Ohio's aging services community and beyond.
Read LeadingAge's profile of Jill Wilson and her leadership. Ohio Living has named Colleen Bottens its new chief operating officer, effective Nov. 2, following a nationwide search. Bottens will oversee statewide operations for Ohio Living Communities, Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice, and Ohio Living Information Services, with responsibility for operational performance, regulatory compliance, financial stewardship and staff development.
Bottens brings 15 years of leadership experience at EverTrue, a St. Louis-based nonprofit aging services organization, where she most recently served as vice president of Anywhere Care. Her background spans home- and community-based services, senior living, hospice, palliative medicine and care management. She previously held leadership positions at Sunrise Senior Living and earned a master's degree in health administration from Lindenwood University. LeadingAge Ohio congratulates Bottens on her appointment and wishes her continued success in her new role. 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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