🎄 ‘Tis the Season! Join us for a Holiday Celebration! 🎉
All Provider and Business Members are invited to celebrate the season with good cheer, great folks, and festive fun!
Date: Wednesday, December 10th, 2025
Time: 5pm-7pm
Location: Meramec Bluffs, Ballwin, MO
In the Spirit of the Season, plan to gather with colleagues, friends, and supporters of our field for fantastic food, lively libations, and “ho ho holiday” spirit. Whether you’re a new or familiar face, we’d love to see you at the Holiday Celebration!
RSVP Here – Free for Provider Members. Business Members $125 or Silent Auction Item Donation
Dress code: Festive casual (Santa suits acceptable!)
Optional: Come prepared to view and bid on Silent Auction Items donated by Business Members and supporters (auction funds support the LeadingAge Missouri PAC)
We look forward to celebrating with you!
Special Thanks to our Sponsors, EverTrue Meramec Bluffs, US Foods, Ronnoco, Martin Bros and Value 1st!
LeadingAge MO Member Reminder on Event Registration Changes
embers are reminded that your association’s payment processing policy will soon change. Beginning January 1, 2026, a 3% convenience fee will be applied to all credit card transactions to help offset rising financial institution processing charges. This fee allows us to maintain quality services with flexible payment options.
What This Means:
- The new 3% fee will be automatically added to your total when paying by credit card.
- Payments via ACH, check, or cash will not incur this fee.
We appreciate member understanding and support. If you have questions or would like to explore alternative payment methods, please contact our team.
Advocacy Day – Save the Date
On February 18, 2026, LeadingAge Missouri will host members for Public Policy Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Jefferson City. Given daunting State Budget challenges, we are engaging legislators early in Session to advance policy relationships and member issues. The Advocacy Committee is developing a legislative agenda that reflects member community and resident priorities. Registration details and the agenda will soon appear on LeadingAge Missouri’s website and in Missouri Messenger, but PLEASE CALENDAR FEBRUARY 18 FOR ADVOCACY DAY.
New QIPMO Newsletter – November 2025
The Quality Improvement Program for Missouri (QIPMO) recently published MDS Tips and Clinical Pearls (Volume 13, Issue 1). In this issue, you will find:
- Small Actions, Big Impact
- These Boots Are Made for Walkin’
- Proactive Leadership
- MHCA Activities Huddle
Federal Government Reopens: What’s In the Compromise Continuing Resolution (CR) for Aging Services?
Putting an end to a 43-day government shutdown, on November 12 President Trump signed into law a compromise spending package. The bill, advanced in the Senate on November 10, extends funding for most federal programs through January 30 and includes three (of 12) full-year appropriations bills. In addition to funding at FY 2025 levels most government programs–including those overseen and administered by the HUD–through January 2026, the bill extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the acute hospital-at-home program through January 30, 2026. The 4% Medicare sequester cut that would otherwise take effect in CY 2026 to offset the cost of HR 1 is waived by this legislation and SNAP is funded through September 30, 2026. With the House and Senate now back at work (the House recessed during the shutdown), Congress turns its attention to completing additional full-year appropriations bills, including the fiscal year 2026 funding bill for HUD, and addressing other LeadingAge priorities, such as the permanent extension of telehealth flexibilities and protecting Medicare home health payments from proposed damaging cuts.
LeadingAge Requests CMS to Prioritize Certain Activities Following Shutdown
LeadingAge sent a letter to CMS on November 13 highlighting areas for prioritization following the federal government shutdown. Among them are issues related to respiratory illness guidance and data reporting, survey activities, updates to Care Compare and associated data, and the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program. Read letter here. As detailed below, CMS is responding to LeadingAge.
Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Officially Resume, For Now
With President Trump signing the continuing resolution into law, Medicare providers are now officially allowed to conduct visits via telehealth. Specifically, the spending package the bill extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities through January 30, 2026. This extension includes the hospice face-to-face certifications via telehealth, as well as waivers of the originating site and geographic restrictions for telehealth services. LeadingAge will ask the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for guidance on how they plan to implement this retroactivity and ask for specific clarity for our range of providers.