Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Coronavirus Update for Tuesday, January 26
The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has updated its list of Medicare Administrative Contract prices for COVID-19 tests. To support clinicians during the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS has extended the 2020 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception application deadline to February 1. Go here for further information. CMS has updated its list of hospitals approved to participate in its Acute Hospital Care at Home program. [...]
MedPAC Meets
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission met in Washington, D.C. recently to discuss various Medicare payment issues. Among the issues discussed at MedPAC’s January meeting were: hospital inpatient and outpatient payments physician and health professionals payments the possible expansion of the post-acute transfer policy to hospice ambulatory surgical center, outpatient dialysis, and hospice payments Medicare payments for skilled nursing facilities, long-term hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and home health services the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s development and implementation of alternative payment models the future of telehealth after the COVID-19 public [...]
Coronavirus Update for Thursday, January 21
The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 21. President Signs Executive Orders Late this afternoon President Biden signed a series of executive orders and actions to implement his administration’s approach to addressing COVID-19. The following is a look at the orders and what they say. Executive Order on Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery Creates a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to address health equity and to “…prevent and remedy differences in COVID-19 care and outcomes within communities [...]
Coronavirus Update for Friday, January 15
The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Friday, January 15. We also present a summary of selected aspects of the “American Rescue Plan” that President-elect Biden presented on Thursday night and an introduction to the newest members of his COVID-19 response team. Provider Relief Fund HHS has amended the reporting timeline for the Provider Relief Fund in response to passage of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Starting today, recipients may begin registering for gateway access to the reporting [...]
Feds Give States Direction for Addressing Social Determinants of Health
Federal laws, regulations, and programs offer numerous tools to states seeking to address social determinants of health through their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Now, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has written to state Medicaid directors outlining those tools. In the 51-page letter, CMS notes that Many Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries may face challenges related to SDOH [social determinants of health], including but not limited to access to nutritious food, affordable and accessible housing, convenient and efficient transportation, safe neighborhoods, strong social connections, quality education, and opportunities [...]