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New Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers Include Waivers for Physician Visits and Delegation of Tasks in SNFs

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Federal Regulations, Practice Management, Practitioners
April 16, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued new waivers for providers in response to COVID-19 . Below are some key waivers for the Skilled Nursing Facilities/Nursing Facilities (SNFs/NFs) setting:

  • Physician Visits in SNFs/NFs: CMS is waiving the requirement in 42 CFR 483.30 for physicians and non-physician practitioners to perform in-person visits for nursing home residents and allow visits to be conducted, as appropriate, via telehealth options.
  • Physician Services: CMS is providing relief to long-term care facilities related to provision
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The Society and LCAO Encourage Congress to Continue Focus on Older Americans in Next Stimulus Package

Policy Snapshot
Skilled Nursing Care, Practitioners
April 16, 2020

Recently the Society, along with the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), urged Congress not to lose focus on older Americans during their new stimulus package work. The groups’ recommendations to Congress included the “urgent need for Congress to ensure that vulnerable older populations, and all health care and social service workers receive sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE). The workers needing PPE include direct care workers, long term services and support providers, mental health providers, aging network and senior housing providers – who provide on-site, or...

Society and Others Urge CMS to Ensure Voluntary MVP Participation

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Practitioners
April 16, 2020

Last week the Society, along with the American Medical Association and other national organizations, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) strongly recommending that CMS ensure that Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathway (MVP) participation is voluntary, create a transition period, focus on measures that are meaningful to physicians, promote the use of new and innovative health information technology, dramatically reduce reporting burden by streamlining reporting, and ensure there are appropriate incentives for physicians to report on...

SNF Proposed Payment and Policy Changes for FY 2021

Policy Snapshot
Skilled Nursing Care, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment
April 16, 2020

On April 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule [CMS-1737-P] for FY 2021 that updates the Medicare payment rates and the quality programs for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). This proposed rule is part of the agency’s continuing efforts to strengthen the Medicare program by better aligning payment rates for these facilities with the costs of providing care and increasing transparency so that patients are able to make informed choices. 

For more information:

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ADVOCACY IN ACTION: Urge Congress to Make PALTC a Priority in the Next COVID-19 Stimulus Package

Policy Snapshot
COVID-19
April 10, 2020

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Congress is working on another stimulus package to help during the pandemic. We have heard from many of our members about the shortages of personal protective equipment, lack of rapid response testing, and no coordinated plans to deal with surges in various states. We must make sure that PALTC practitioners working in skilled...

Quality Payment Program: MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policy in Response to COVID-19

Policy Snapshot
COVID-19, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Practitioners
April 10, 2020

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering multiple flexibilities to provide relief to clinicians responding to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition to extending the 2019 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data submission deadline to April 30 at 8 PM ET, the MIPS automatic...

Second Update to CR 11152 Implementation of the Skilled Nursing Facility Patient Driven Payment Model—Revised by CMS

Policy Snapshot
Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment
April 10, 2020

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A revised MLN Matters Article on Second Update to CR 11152 Implementation of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Learn about corrected edits to allow...

Society Continues to Address Telehealth Questions/Concerns

Policy Snapshot
April 10, 2020

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Given the potential for spread of coronavirus in nursing facilities by clinicians who visited multiple facilities, telehealth has become a valuable tool to take care of patients—and there have been a lot of questions on how to use it and how to bill for it. At last week’s Virtual...

The Society Continues to Advocate for Nursing Home Clinicians

Policy Snapshot
March 28, 2020

Last week the Society continued efforts to advocate for post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) clinicians. The Society joined other national and state medical societies to encourage lawmakers to include in the final “stimulus” legislation provisions to help physicians provide the best possible care for their patients. Specifically, the groups called on Congress to support and sustain physicians and their practices during this unprecedented national emergency through tax relief, no-interest loans, direct payments, payment for virtual visits including phone calls, and other measures.

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AMA, AHA, ANA Urge Public to Stay Home

Policy Snapshot
March 28, 2020

The leading U.S. medical and health organizations last  week called on the American people to stay home to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and limit its long-term health effect on our country.

 The open letter from the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, and American Nurses Association is available here. 

 The full text is below:

Open letter to the American public:

Physicians, nurses and our entire...