DSHS has revised the contract  for facilities that are providing COVID+ care in a separate wing/building.  This revision eliminates the requirement for staff working in your COVID+ location to refrain from providing Nursing Facility or medical care to any other Nursing Facility patients for 14 calendar days after providing care to COVID positive patients. And from the initial contract released last week, this latest version eliminates the requirement for separate HVAC units and allows medical services to be provided using telehealth.

We still have some unanswered questions that we have submitted to DSHS.  We are waiting on answers to confirm whether assisted living facilities are also eligible to contract to provide dedicated COVID care at the higher rate offered.  The recent Dear Provider letter suggests assisted living is eligible to participate in the COVID contract, however, the contract itself clearly anticipates that skilled nursing facilities are the provider of COVID designated care.  We have also asked if facilities that don’t have a Medicaid contract are eligible for this contract.

If you are currently meeting the requirements for this contract such as a segregated or stand-alone building, are only admitting patients with a confirmed positive test for COVID-19, and have the necessary staffing, we recommend you consider contracting with the department.

With all of the revisions that DSHS has already made to this contract, and the questions that remain unanswered, we expect there could be more changes coming.                                                                                             

We will communicate any new information as we receive it.

Questions?

Contact:

David Carter | Director, Health Care Finance & Policy

C 360.888.5702