Provider Enrollment and Ongoing Responsibilities : Ongoing Responsibilities

Nurse Aide Training and Testing

Overview

All CNAs employed by a nursing home must be included on the Nurse Aide Registry maintained by the DQA within four months of the date of hire by the nursing home. New aides must meet specific training requirements and pass a competency evaluation before they can be included on the registry. Complete information on the training and testing of new aides, and those aides currently listed on the registry is available from the DQA.

Wisconsin Medicaid separately reimburses NFs for the cost of training and competency testing of CNAs they have hired. This includes training and testing provided through any DQA-approved program. Wisconsin Medicaid reimburses training and testing once for each aide, unless the aide has not worked in a nursing or nursing-related capacity for more than two years. In this situation, the aide must be retested. Wisconsin Medicaid reimburses providers for this cost, but only after the aide is listed on the registry.

NFs request reimbursement for CNA training and testing using the Nurse Aide Training and Competency Test Reimbursement Request form.

ICF/IIDs are not eligible for separate reimbursement for the cost of training and testing of nurse aides because these costs are covered in the ICF/IID daily rate.

By federal law, nurse aides are not to bear any cost of training or testing. Therefore, nursing homes that hire aides who have, within the past 12 months, independently completed a training program, must reimburse the aides for the training and testing expenses. Payment must be made within 12 months of hire.

Frequently asked questions regarding nurse aide training and testing are available.

Competency Testing Deadline

Prospective CNAs have 365 days from the date they complete their classroom/clinical requirements to pass the competency test. Therefore, the training completion date on the reimbursement request must be within 365 days of the date they passed the competency test. If the training completion date on a reimbursement request is more than 365 days prior to the competency test date or after the competency test date, the training portion of the reimbursement request will deny. If the competency test date is invalid or incorrect, the entire request will be denied.

The training completion date is the date a CNA completes his or her classroom and clinical requirements. The competency test date is the date a CNA passes the competency test.

Reimbursement Eligibility Timelines

Certified Nursing Assistants

A CNA is eligible to receive partial reimbursement of training and/or testing costs if they are hired by a Medicaid-enrolled NF within 365 days of their certification (test) date. If the timeframe between the certification/recertification (test) date and hire date exceeds 365 days, the CNA's eligibility for reimbursement has expired and the request will deny.

Nursing Facilities

If a CNA's competency test date is after their hire date, the NF has 365 days from the test date to submit a reimbursement request to Wisconsin Medicaid. If a request is received more than 365 days from the test date, the request will deny.

If a CNA's competency test date is prior to their hire date and within 365 days of the hire date, the NF has 365 days from the hire date to submit a reimbursement request to Wisconsin Medicaid. If a request is received more than 365 days from the hire date, the request will deny.

If an NF is late in submitting a reimbursement request, Wisconsin Medicaid still requires the NF to reimburse the CNA.

The NF has up to 365 days from the hire date to reimburse a CNA the maximum required amount. This is referred to in federal regulation 42 C.F.R. Part 483.152(c)(2) as pro rata. If a CNA becomes certified after they are hired by the NF, reimbursement should be made within 365 days of their certification date.