ISDH Requires Census Reporting as of July 1, 2015

ISDH sent out a newsletter on June 29, 2015 indicating that it intends to require nursing facilities to report their actual facility census as of July 1, 2015 through the ISDH Gateway no later than July 15, 2015.  The data is needed as of each January 1 and July 1 to determine county and statewide occupancy in order to implement a portion of the nursing facility moratorium legislation.  This announcement is a surprise in terms of timing, but not in terms of substance.  Since the passage of the nursing facility moratorium legislation IHCA knew that the ISDH was going to require mandatory reporting of census, was under the impression it would not begin this until January 1, 2016 since the law is not even effective on July 1, 2015 (but becomes effective on July 2, 2015).  The ISDH is also, apparently, requiring this data for residential care facilities as well.  It is unknown right now what penalty/citation, if any, would follow if a facility did not report this data.