During the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare coverage expanded to include a vast arsenal of tools that help patients access medical services while keeping patients and practitioners safe. Many of these tools involve telehealth services and were made possible by the COVID-19 emergency blanket waivers, which went into effect when the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) declared a Public Health Emergency (the “PHE”). Some of these tools:
In response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (the “PHE”), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued numerous “blanket waivers” to increase access to medical services, and ease the regulatory burden on providers across the health care industry. In order to help providers understand the current status of the various waivers – some of which have been codified into law or adopted through the regulatory process, and others of which have already been terminated – CMS has issued a “Road Map” through a series of Fact Sheets for different provider types.
As many of us are starting to see the small light at the end of the tunnel, many hospitals are still reeling from the stress of the last year. Following
Continue Reading Implications of the Pandemic on Hospitals – New OIG Report, Government Response, and What Comes Next
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency (the “PHE”) first declared on March 13, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued blanket Section 1135 Waivers to expand, albeit on a temporary basis during the PHE, the range of healthcare professionals who can provide Medicare-covered telehealth services to include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, and other non-physician practitioners. (See also, CMS Fact Sheet, “Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet” (March 17, 2020) and CMS’s “COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers” (December 1, 2020)).
Continue Reading The Other Shoe Drops: OIG To Audit COVID-19 Telehealth Home Health Services
Over the last year, we have seen volatility in the healthcare industry overall, and Medicare Advantage (“MA”) and Medicare Part D plans (together, “Plans”) have not been immune. Particularly because of their risk adjustment payment models, and metrics by which they are measured, it was unclear how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) would respond.
Continue Reading CMS to the Rescue for MA and Part D Plans – Rate Announcement Includes Significant Increase in Plan Payments for 2022
On August 3, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13941 (the “Executive Order”) which expands access to certain telehealth services post-pandemic. The Executive Order focuses on telehealth access for individuals living in rural areas and implements the following mechanisms:
Continue Reading It’s Official: Telehealth Benefits Have Been Expanded For Medicare Beneficiaries
On April 21, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released “Explanatory Guidance” related to the March 30, 2020 Blanket Waivers of Section 1877(g) of the Social Security Act (information about those waivers available in our previous blog post here), applicable during the COVID-19 public health emergency (“PHE”). The Explanatory Guidance clarifies the scope and application of the Blanket Waivers to certain financial relationships and responds to some of the issues raised by stakeholders since the release of the Blanket Waivers. The Explanatory Guidance offers some new insight, which providers should consider in structuring any arrangements that rely on the Blanket Waivers, but leaves many key questions and challenges unaddressed.
Continue Reading Even in a Crisis, Stark Law Compliance Demands Attention: CMS Issues Explanatory Guidance on Stark Law Blanket Waivers