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CMS NEWS ALERT: April 27, 2020 (COVID-19)
Here is a summary of
recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) actions taken in
response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), as part of the ongoing
White House Task Force efforts. To keep up with the important work the Task
Force is doing in response to COVID-19, click here www.coronavirus.gov. For information
specific to CMS, please visit the CMS News Room and Current Emergencies Website. CMS
updates these resources on an ongoing basis throughout the day; the
information below is current as of April 27, 2020 at 10:45 a.m.
CMS
Reevaluates Accelerated Payment Program and Suspends Advance Payment Program
CMS announced that it is
reevaluating the amounts that will be paid under its Accelerated Payment
Program and suspending its Advance Payment Program to Part B suppliers
effective immediately. The agency made this announcement following the
successful payment of over $100 billion to healthcare providers and suppliers
through these programs. CMS had expanded these temporary loan programs to
ensure providers and suppliers had the resources needed to combat the
beginning stages of the COVID-19. Funding will continue to be available to
hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the
coronavirus response primarily from the Provider Relief Fund.
Trump
Administration Releases COVID-19 Toolkit to Accelerate State Use of
Telehealth in Medicaid and CHIP
CMS released a new toolkit
for states to help accelerate adoption of broader telehealth coverage
policies in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP)
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The toolkit will help states identify policies
that may impede the rapid deployment of telehealth when providing care. This
release builds on the agency’s swift actions to ensure that Americans can
access the health care services they need through electronic and virtual
means, minimizing travel to healthcare facilities and supporting efforts to
limit community spread of the virus.
Infection
Control Guidance to Home Health Agencies on COVID-19
CMS issued guidance to
respond to questions from Medicare & Medicaid Home Health Agencies and
Religious Nonmedical Healthcare Institutions. The guidance addresses the COVID-19
outbreak and minimizing transmission to other individuals.
Now
Available: Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System Updates, Nursing Home
Staff Counts, and Frequently Asked Questions
In a recent memo to State
Survey Agencies, CMS announced that the inspection domain of the Nursing Home
Compare website will be held constant temporarily due to the prioritization
and suspension of certain surveys, to ensure the rating system reflects fair
information for consumers. In addition, CMS is releasing information that shows
the average number of staff each nursing home has onsite, each day (nursing
staff and total staff), and aggregated by state and nationally. Along with
these announcements CMS released a list of Frequently Asked Questions to
clarify certain actions the agency has taken related to visitation, surveys,
waivers, and other guidance.
CMS Gives
States Additional Flexibility to Address Coronavirus Pandemic
CMS has approved more than
125 requests for state relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including
recent approvals for Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
These approvals help to ensure that states have the tools they need to combat
COVID-19 through a wide variety of waivers, amendments, and Medicaid state
plan flexibilities, including for programs that care for the elderly and
people with disabilities. CMS developed a toolkit to expedite the application and
review of each request and has approved these requests in record
time. These approved flexibilities support President Trump’s commitment
to a COVID-19 response that is locally executed, state managed, and federally
supported.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2020
CMS NEWS ALERT: April 27, 2020 (COVID-19)
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