The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released on its website an interim final rule with comment (IFC) related to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The IFC has not yet been released in the Federal Register. The IFC revises requirements for long-term care (LTC) facilities and strengthens CMS enforcement to ensure compliance [...] Read More
August 11, 2020 On Tuesday, August 11, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center announced the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model to address disparities in healthcare services in rural communities. The CHART model is a result of President Trump’s Executive Order last week on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access [...] Read More
On the morning of August 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) calendar year (CY) 2021 proposed rule. The rule also includes updates to the ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system and other specified policies: Update and refine the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient [...] Read More
On August 3, 2020, President Trump announced that he was signing an executive order (EO) to further expand telehealth services, specifically for rural health providers. The executive order builds on actions taken during the public health emergency (PHE) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The EO directs the Department of Health and [...] Read More
On July 6, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule that updates and revises its End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for calendar year 2021 (CMS-1732-P). This rule makes regular annual updates to the ESRD PPS and proposes certain changes to the ESRD Quality Improvement Program (QIP). [...] Read More
In addition to a second interim final rule to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also updated the current blanket waivers that are aimed at helping providers respond to the declared public health emergency (PHE). Below are the new waiver items updated by CMS after April 21, 2020. Telehealth [...] Read More
On the afternoon of April 30th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it submitted a second interim final rule (IFC) to the Federal Register and that it released an additional set of blanket waivers under section 1135 of the Social Security Act aimed at addressing the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Below are many of the new flexibilities and capabilities included in the waivers and rule: Interim Final [...] Read More
Senate leaders have recently announced that Congress has reached a deal on an additional COVID-19-driven funding package, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This recent funding package replenishes a loan program for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, but also includes funding related to COVID-19 testing. Dubbed CARES 3.5, this deal [...] Read More
On the evening of March 30th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a series of additional blanket waivers under section 1877(g) and section 1135 of the Social Security Act and an interim final rule (IFC) aimed at addressing the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. Below are many of the new flexibilities and capabilities included in the waivers and rule: Increasing Hospital Capacity Allow ambulatory [...] Read More
Congress has been working on Phase III of coronavirus relief and a vote on the package is expected to occur the week of Mar 23-27, 2020. Provisions in the legislation include human resources, hospital payment, patient cost-sharing, coverage of diagnostics and vaccines, and supply shortages. For many of the provisions, HHS is directed to implement [...] Read More