March 27, 2020
HHS Secretary Azar sent a letter to all state Governors on March 24, 2020 urging them to take certain actions to expand the health care workforce in response to the coronavirus. These actions include relaxing scope of practice for professionals and allowing professionals to practice in a state even if they are licensed in other ...
April 3, 2020
On March 28, 2020, CMS announced an expansion of its accelerated and advance payment program for Medicare participating health care providers and suppliers, to help ensure that they have the resources needed to combat COVID-19. This expansion, based on changes from the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic ...
March 27, 2020
On March 22, 2020, CMS announced that it is granting exceptions from reporting requirements and extensions for clinicians, providers, hospitals and facilities who participate in Medicare’s quality reporting programs with regard to upcoming measure reporting and data submissions. Medicare extended the MIPS and ACO deadline ...
March 27, 2020
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued several rounds of guidance related to outpatient rehabilitation services and ultimately encourages providers to determine which services are urgent or emergency versus non-urgent or non-emergent, as with other types of health services. The article authored by Wyatt ...
March 27, 2020
CMS provided guidance loosening certain provider enrollment restrictions to allow for expedited enrollment and provisions of healthcare services during the period of emergency. The article summarizing the guidance is found here.
March 27, 2020
On March 24, 2020, the CDC updated the priorities for testing patients with suspected coronavirus infection.
Priority 1: Hospitalized patients and symptomatic healthcare workers.
Priority 2: Patients with symptoms who are in long-term care facilities, who are 65 years of age and older, who have underlying conditions, or who ...
April 3, 2020
Included in the broad Section 1135 waivers, CMS has temporarily suspended routine, non-emergency survey inspections of Medicare facilities across the country. In its March 31, 2020 National Stakeholder Call, Administrator Verma said that inspectors will continue to conduct surveys focused on cases of abuse or neglect that ...
March 20, 2020
The use of telehealth and telecommunications technologies is seen as a principal way to treat patients during this time of self-isolation. However, to effectively use telehealth during a state of emergency that requires Americans to stay home meant Medicare and Medicaid would need to relax telehealth rules that restricted its use ...
March 27, 2020
The Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services has issued several iterations of guidance regarding telehealth services. The latest guidance, issued March 25, 2020, may be found here. New guidance addresses, among other things, payment for rural health clinic telehealth services and the provision of orthotics and prosthetics ...