CMS published information for pharmacies and other suppliers that wish to enroll in Medicare temporarily as independent clinical diagnostic laboratories to help address the need for COVID-19 testing. Medicare-enrolled pharmacies and suppliers seeking to initiate temporary Medicare independent clinical diagnostic laboratory billing privileges should contact the hotline of the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) serving their geographic area. Pharmacies and other suppliers who are not currently enrolled in Medicare and want to enroll as an independent clinical diagnostic laboratory, must submit a CMS-855B enrollment application to the MAC serving their geographic area. See MLN Matters SE20017 for more details.

In an effort to consolidate COVID-19 resources and make it easier to find needed information, HRSA has launched a new COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners webpage. HRSA and Health Center Program COVID-19 related resources, helpful links and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are now in one place with new search and filter features to help access information in the FAQs. HRSA will continually update the information on this page, as well as the information on the separate page for FAQs related to COVID-19 funding.

Representatives Adrian Smith (NE-03) and Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) introduced a bill (HR 6792) this week, which would allow payment equal to an otherwise in-person visit for telehealth services furnished by Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. Text for the bill, entitled the Improving Telehealth for Underserved Communities Act, will be found here.

The U.S. House of Representatives introduced a 4th Stimulus Package (HEROES Act). The full House is expected to vote on the bill on Friday, May 15. The U.S. Senate is not expected to consider the legislation until June. Highlights of the bill for FHQCs include:

• $7.6 billion in funding to provide resources to address health center revenue losses
• $100 billion for the health care emergency fund, which adds to the $175 billion that was already in the fund from the CARES Act and the CARES Act Add-On
• $75 billion for testing
• A 14% increase in FMAP in addition to the previous 6% FMAP increase

Click here for the full bill. Click here for a section-by-section summary of the bill. Of note, the bill does not include extensions of Health Center Program, Teaching Health Center or National Health Service Corps funding, currently set to expire in November.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued the following Health Alerts this week related to the COVID-19 pandemic:

• 2020 – PAHAN – 506 – 05-11-ALT: A pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome, recently reported by authorities in the United Kingdom, is also being observed among children and young adults in New York City and elsewhere in the United States.
• 2020 – PAHAN – 507 – 05-11-ALT: As buildings have been shut down or used less frequently, building water quality degradation becomes a silent but serious issue. Legionella and other pathogens, lead, disinfection byproducts, and other health issues can result when water sits for an extended period. This alert provides various steps and recommendations to take in preparation for reopening.
• 2020 – PAHAN – 508 – 5-12-ADV: Test-based strategies for preventing transmission of COVID-19 in skilled nursing facilities.

Visit the DOH 2020 Health Alerts, Advisories and Updates website for the most recent information.

Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf signed SB67, which authorizes Pennsylvania to join the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT). PSYPACT is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries. The Act is expected to take effect in 60 days.

As part of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts taken in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), following is a summary of recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) actions. To keep up with the important Task Force work being done 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 May 15, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Deadline Approaching: Notification Requirements of Confirmed and Suspected COVID-19 Cases Among Nursing Home Residents and Staff

On April 19, CMS announced the agency will be requiring facilities to report COVID-19 information to the CDC and to families. Within three weeks of that announcement, on April 30, CMS issued an Interim Final Rule with Comment Period with new regulatory requirements. With the new regulatory requirements, nursing homes are required to report the first week of data to the CDC beginning May 8 but no later than May 17. For the first time, all 15,000 nursing homes will be reporting this data directly to the CDC through its reporting tool.

In order to report, facilities must enroll in the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Information on how to enroll is available here. As nursing homes report this data to the CDC, CMS will be taking swift action and publicly posting this information so all Americans have access to accurate and timely information on COVID-19 in nursing homes. More information on the CDC’s NHSN COVID-19 module can be found here.

CMS Releases Nursing Home Toolkit with Best Practices and Additional Resources

CMS released a new toolkit developed to aid nursing homes, Governors, states, departments of health, and other agencies who provide oversight and assistance to these facilities.  These additional resources will help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic within nursing homes. The toolkit builds on previous actions taken by CMS, which provide a wide range of tools and guidance to states, healthcare providers and others during the public health emergency. The toolkit is comprised of best practices from a variety of front line health care providers, Governors’ COVID-19 task forces, associations and other organizations, and experts, and is intended to serve as a catalogue of resources dedicated to addressing the specific challenges facing nursing homes as they combat COVID-19.

Press Release

Toolkit

Trump Administration Announces Call for Nominations for Nursing Home Commission

CMS announced a call for nominations for the new contractor-led Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. The commission’s work will build on the Trump Administration’s long history of decisive actions to protect nursing home residents. The commission will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the overall response to the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes and will inform immediate and future actions to safeguard the health and quality of life for an especially vulnerable population of Americans.

Press Release

Nursing Home Commission Nominations

CMS Outlines Medicaid Managed Care Options in Responding to COVID-19

CMS released a new Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Informational Bulletin (CIB) that provides states guidance on how to temporarily modify their Medicaid managed care contracts to address the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The guidance provides several options that states can consider to adjust provider payment methodologies and capitation rates within Medicaid managed care contracts while preserving systems of care and access to services for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Informational Bulletin

CMS Gives States Additional Flexibility to Address Coronavirus Pandemic

CMS has approved over 190 requests for state relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including recent approvals for California, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, and Rhode Island. These approvals help to ensure that states have the tools they need to combat COVID-19. This is done through a wide variety of waivers, amendments, and Medicaid state plan flexibilities, including support for programs that care for the elderly and people with disabilities. CMS also 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.

Section 1135 Waivers

Section 1115(a) Waivers

1915(c) Waiver Appendix K Amendments

Medicaid State Plan Amendments

CHIP State Plan Amendments

The USDA Food Nutrition Service (FNS) has extended the following waivers nationwide through August 31, 2020:

• Non-Congregate Feeding: FNS is allowing meals to be served to children outside of the normally-required group setting to support social distancing.

• Parent Pickup: FNS is allowing parents and/or guardians to pick up meals and bring them home to their children.

• Meal Times: FNS is waiving requirements that meals be served at certain standard times to allow for grab-n-go options. This also allows for multiple days-worth of meals to be provided at once.