HHS to Extend COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
From Modern Healthcare: “HHS spokesperson Michael Caputo on Monday tweeted that HHS intends to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency that is set to expire on July 25.” “The extension …
Insights and News
CMS’ 2021 Proposed Rule for Home Health Agencies – Changes to Telehealth, Reimbursement, and More
CMS issued a proposed rule that includes annual payment updates for home health agencies, changes to telehealth, and more. The proposed rule includes routine, legally required updates to home health …
CMS: All Nursing Homes Must Resume Submitting Staffing Data Through the PBJ System by August 14, 2020
Today CMS announced plans to end the emergency blanket waiver requiring all nursing homes to resume submitting staffing data through the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system by August 14, 2020. The …
New ABN Form: Mandatory on August 31st!
The ABN (Advanced Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage) Form CMS-R-131, and form instructions have been approved by CMS’ Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal. The use of the renewed …
Physician Compare Preview Period is Now Open
From CMS: The Physician Compare 60-day Preview Period is officially open as of June 22, 2020 at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT). You can now preview your 2018 Quality …
Medicare Coverage of COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Home Residents and Patients
CMS has instructed MACs and notified Medicare Advantage plans to cover COVID-19 lab tests for nursing home residents and patients. This instruction follows the CDC’s recent update of COVID-19 testing guidelines …
CHAP Compliance Guides for Home Health Agencies
CHAP (Community Health Education Partner) has released two simple compliance guides for home health agencies. CHAP accredits home and community-based health care organizations. These new guides cover CMS blanket waivers, …
House Launches Investigation into COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths
The U.S. House of Representatives launched an investigation into the coronavirus crisis in nursing homes, sending letters to CMS and the nation’s five largest for-profit nursing home companies. “The Subcommittee …
Nursing Homes: Updated COVID-19 Testing Guidelines from the CDC
The CDC recently updated its COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing home residents and personnel. The updates include: Reorganized recommendations to address: Viral testing of healthcare personnel (HCP) Viral testing of …
CMS: Recommendations for Reopening Facilities to Provide Non-Emergent, Non-COVID-19 Healthcare
From CMS: “As states and localities begin to stabilize and COVID-19-related healthcare demand decreases, it is important to safely resume care in order to treat ongoing health needs that are …