Safety Sharps Now Covered By MCOs
October 2, 2012: Madison, WI – WALA is pleased to announce that Family Care MCOs will now provide safety sharps for residents of assisted living facilities!
Last March, WALA and M3 Insurance approached the Managed Care Organizations (MCO) in Wisconsin regarding a safety concern in assisted living facilities. The concern was that assisted living facilities according to OSHA guidelines must use safety sharps/lancets in their facilities. It was reported to WALA and M3 that MCO’s did not have a sufficient network to provide safety sharps for members in assisted living facilities. Therefore, some assisted living facilities reported that they were providing safety sharps at their own expense. WALA encouraged the MCOs that it was appropriate that the MCOs cover safety sharps for the safety of residents as well as staff. OSHA has recently taken an interest in AL facilities. Needle sticks, in particular, have their attention.
After months of research by the WI Family Care Association (WFCA), WALA was informed October 1, 2012 by Michael Blumenfeld of the WFCA and Julie Strenn/Director of Provider Network/CCCW that the Managed Care Organizations now had capacity within their network to dispense safety needles to members in residential settings.
View the complete letter from WFCA for more information about the decision. Contact information for the participating MCOs are listed as an easy reference for further assistance in the letter. If you are told that the MCO cannot cover safety sharps, please let WALA know.
On behalf of your residents and staff, WALA is pleased that our extra effort means that this coverage will be provided. Please pass the word to your fellow providers, in your local meetings and to all who might be impacted by this safety issue for their residents and staff.
About WALA
The Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA) is the largest assisted living specific association in the state exclusively dedicated to supporting professionals who provide resident-centered support in an assisted living environment. Since 1995, WALA has been offering a variety of services and member benefits designed to represent and enhance the assisted living industry in Wisconsin. Our focus has been and remains on promoting assisted living excellence, both for our members and for the industry as a whole by providing quality education, information, publications, professional networking and products that promote and enhance quality care.
