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CMS Office Hours Call on COVID-19: May 26, 5:00 to 6:00 PM ET

Policy Snapshot
May 21, 2020

Hospitals, health systems, and providers: Ask the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) questions about its temporary actions that empower you to:

  • Increase hospital capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls
  • Rapidly expand the health care workforce
  • Put patients over paperwork
  • Promote telehealth

Conference lines are limited; CMS encourages you to join via audio webcast. Or you can call 833-614-0820/ passcode 8977438....

CMS COVID-19 Nursing Home Call: May 27, 4:30 to 5:00 PM ET

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 21, 2020

These calls provide targeted updates on the agency’s latest COVID-19 guidance. Leaders in the field also share best practices. There is an opportunity to ask questions if time allows.

Conference lines are limited; CMS encourages you to join via audio webcast. Or you can call 833-614-0820/passcode 1243649.

For more information:

CMS Issues Nursing Homes Best Practices Toolkit to Combat COVID-19

Policy Snapshot
COVID-19, Skilled Nursing Care, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
May 14, 2020

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new ...

Letter from CMS Administrator to Nursing Home Workers

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 14, 2020

Last week, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma penned a letter to nursing home management and staff. Administrator Verma shared her gratitude for the unwavering dedication and commitment of the management and staff in keeping...

Updates to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) to Correct the Adjustment Process

Policy Snapshot
Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 14, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new MLN Matters Article MM11727 on Updates to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) to Correct the Adjustment Process (PDF). Learn about corrections to processing of adjustments and other billing issues for SNF PDPM claims....

Urge Your Members of Congress to Support a Nursing Home Medical Director Registry

Policy Snapshot
Practitioners
May 8, 2020

Nursing homes are on the front lines of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for a large proportion of cases and deaths. Unfortunately, there is no public listing of nursing home medical directors, impeding the ability of public health agencies to assist them with preparation and response.

Urge your members of Congress to sign on to a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma asking her to create a nursing home registry of medical directors.

...

CMS Issues Interim Final Rule on SNF Reporting COVID-19 Cases of Residents and Staff

Policy Snapshot
COVID-19, Skilled Nursing Care, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners, Resident
May 8, 2020

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule updating requirements for notification of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases among residents and staff in nursing homes.

CMS is requiring nursing homes to report COVID-19 facility data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and to residents, their representatives, and families of residents in...

New Informed Consent Resources for Telehealth from AHRQ

Policy Snapshot
Practitioners, Telemedicine
May 8, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced health care providers to limit in-person visits, telehealth has expanded rapidly. In response to the need to obtain informed consent from patients for virtual visits, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created a ...

Home Health Plans of Care: NPs, CNSs and PAs Allowed to Certify

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 8, 2020

Section 3708 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Pub. L. No. 116-136) amended sections 1814(a) and 1835(a) of the Social Security Act to allow nurse practitioners (NPs), certified clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), and physician assistants (PAs) to certify beneficiaries for eligibility under the Medicare home health benefit and oversee their plan of care. This is a permanent change.

Effective for claims with dates of service on or after March 1, 2020, these non-physician practitioners may bill the following codes:

  • G0179: Physician
    • ...

COVID-19: Modified Ordering Requirements for Laboratory Billing

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practitioners
May 8, 2020

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, CMS is relaxing billing requirements for laboratory tests (PDF) required for a COVID-19 diagnosis. Any health care professional authorized under state law may order tests. Medicare will pay for tests without a written order from the treating physician or other practitioner:

  • If an order is not written, an ordering or referring National Provider Identifier (NPI) is not required on the claim
  • If an order is written, include the NPI of
    • ...