Members, 

We recently asked you to capture life in their community and then share the results with the rest of the SL family during the 2023 “Our Time to Thrive” Photo and Testimonial contest! You answered the call, and we received countless entries showing how our residents are thriving!!

Congratulations to Photo Contest Winners: 

1st Place: Dream Flight: 100 year old Frank has the flight of a lifetime on a WWII era plane - Evergreen Senior Living

2nd Place: Ida Enjoys Playtime with Parsley - Heritage Woods of Plainfield

3rd Place: Carmen & Christel enjoy an afternoon of ice cream and antics -

Lacey Creek Supportive Living

1st Place

Dream Flight: 100 year old Frank has the flight of a lifetime on a WWII era plane

Evergreen Senior Living

2nd Place

Ida Enjoys Playtime with Parsley Heritage Woods of Plainfield

3rd Place

Carmen & Christel enjoy an afternoon of ice cream and antics

Lacey Creek Supportive Living

And Congrats to our Testimonial Winners:

1st Place: Tom Chamblin, Evergreen Senior Living

2nd Place: Shirley Pierson, Heritage Woods of Flora

3rd Place: Brenda, Heritage Woods of DeKalb

You can check all the winning photos and testimonials by clicking here.

We want to thank our sponsor Troxell for continuing to support our residents and make this event possible!

More Great News!

Congrats to our Wii Bowling Semi-Finalists Champs

Gateway at River City's DJB

Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook's HWB Wii Bowling

and our Regional Spelling Bee Champs

Cambridge House of O’ Fallon

Mary Bryant Home for the Blind

Heritage Woods of South Elgin

At the end of September, we held three regional spelling bees across the state and the top team from each region are now moving on to the finals.

Wii and Spelling Championships will be held on the final day of the Annual Meeting to compete for the championship titles!

A special thank you to the Wii Bowling and Spelling Bee planning committee along with all of our judges who volunteered their time to make these events s happen! 

If you have not already done so, register today for our upcoming Annual Meeting and cheer on our winning residents on as they compete in the statewide Wii Bowling and Spelling Bee championships. It's also a great opportunity for attendees to earn CE credit at the same time!

Policy Update

All supportive living program providers certified by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services must file a cost report. SLP providers must submit cost reports to the Bureau of Health Finance at any time upon request from the Department, or, when a significant change occurs in the SLP provider's financial status/solvency, and, annually not later than 90 days after the end of the SLP provider’s fiscal year. Additional details regarding preparation and, filing requirements can be found in the cost reporting instructions, and in the Department’s rules at 89 Ill. Adm. Code 146.265(e)2. Click here for more information.

Any questions concerning the filing of cost reports should be addressed to:

Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services

Bureau of Health Finance

201 S. Grand Ave. E.

Springfield, IL 62763

Telephone: 217-782-1630

HHS Announces Availability of Four Free COVID-19 Rapid Tests Starting September 25th 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced that beginning Monday, September 25th, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered to their home. Click here for additional information on requesting four free COVID-19 tests.

Assurance of Transportation: A Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide

On September 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a State Medicaid Director Letter which introduces the Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide. The guidance highlights existing policies and also includes new policies to address scenarios for extended wait times and long-distance trips, and scenarios where non-Medicaid eligible parents, family members, or other caregivers may require transportation to participate in a Medicaid-eligible child’s care. CMS encourages states to use the document as a guide when developing and updating policies and procedures that facilitate robust transportation programs, noting that Medicaid transportation is a critical service that has a direct impact on health outcomes. To view the guide, click here.

AALC PAC

This year our goal is to raise $225,000 in voluntary contributions for the AALC PAC! We very close to reaching out goal but need your help! To date, we have secured contributions or pledges totaling $217,500! With your help, we will reach or even exceed our goal.

This year we have asked communities with 100 or fewer apartments to contribute $2,500 and those with greater than 100 apartments to contribute $3,500. You can send your check to the AALC PAC at: PO Box 1245, Springfield, IL 62705. I know that you understand the important role that the AALC PAC plays in our advocacy work. 

Thank you for supporting our advocacy work!

Legislative Update

The Illinois General Assembly will be returning to Springfield for the Fall Veto Session October 24^th-26^th and November 7^th-9^th. The purpose of the Veto Session is for the House and Senate to address any legislation that was passed in the previous Session and vetoed by the Governor. There is no vetoed legislation directly affecting the supportive living program.

AALC Legislative Champions will be joining the AALC Annual Conference and we will be awarding Senate President Don Harmon with our 2023 AALC Legislator of the Year Award. We are looking forward to thanking our legislative partners along with attendees from the supportive living industry.

2023 NTP Virtual Workshop Recordings

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made the recordings of the 2023 National Training Program (NTP) Virtual Workshop available on their website for those who were unable to attend the live sessions.

Session topics include:

·       Social Security

·       Medicare Enrollment, Eligibility, Part A, and Part B

·       Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)

·       Drug Coverage When Using Medicare

·       Medicare Advantage

·       Medicare for People with Disabilities

·       Medicare for People with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

·       Medicare Current Topics

·       Coordination of Benefits

·       Medicare Scenarios (Casework Session)

·       Medicare & Tax-Favored Health Programs

·       Medicare Plan Finder

Click here to view the recordings. 

AALC Annual Meeting 

October 25-26, 2023 Springfield, IL

Register to attend AALC’s 2023 Annual Conference. We are offering two tracks for owners and staff. CEU credits will be available. Learn more and register today.

Sponsor Thank You!

We are excited to have Medication Management Partner's as a GOLD SPONSOR of our Upcoming Annual Meeting. Their support is helping us put on our first in-person meeting in years!

MEMBERS! If you know of a vendor who might be interested in joining AALC, share their information with us at info@aalcillinois.org and we will reach out to them. Are you a vendor member and interested in bringing content to our Supportive Living communities? Let us know and we will feature you in an upcoming newsletter.