COVID-19

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15. Provider Relief Fund Yesterday HHS held a webinar to provide more detailed information to health care providers about its planned $20 billion CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Phase 3 general distribution. It used this toolkit during the webinar.  The deadline for applying for a Phase 3 general distribution is November 6. During the webinar, providers that have received Provider Relief Fund general distributions in the past were advised that they need to submit an entirely new application to participate in Phase [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14. Reminder:  HHS Webinar on Phase 3 General Distributions HHS will hold a webcast on Thursday, October 15 at 3:00 (eastern) to give providers more information about the Phase 3 general distribution.  Go here to register and submit questions.  The application deadline for Phase 3 distributions is November 6.   Provider Relief Fund The Provider Relief Fund FAQ has been updated with one new question on page 6 that is marked “Added 10/9/2020.” The new question is “Can providers use Provider Relief [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:15 p.m. on Friday, October 9. Provider Relief Fund Five questions in the Provider Relief Fund FAQ have been modified with updated answers; they can be found on pages 14, 40, 41, 42, and 43.  Most address the upcoming Phase 3 general distribution.  Providers considering applying for a Phase 3 general distribution should review this new information carefully. The Provider Relief Fund has a new one-page fact sheet on the Phase 3 general distribution. The Provider Relief Fund web page also has introduced the new document “Phase [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:  Updated Hospital Data Reporting Requirements CMS has issued guidance in support of an interim final regulation presenting its COVID-19 data reporting requirements for hospitals as a condition for continued participation in Medicare and Medicaid.  The daily reporting requirements apply to all types of hospitals except for the following, for which reporting is required weekly: psychiatric hospitals distinct part psych hospitals Medicaid only psychiatric hospitals Medicaid only children’s hospitals rehabilitation hospitals Medicaid only rehabilitation hospitals The [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as 2:45 p.m. on Monday, October 5. Provider Relief Fund HHS has updated its Provider Relief Fund information about the Phase 3 general distribution that was announced last week.  Go here for information on how to apply for Phase 3 funding and here for the terms and conditions for Phase 3 payments.  Today is the first day for providers to apply for Phase 3 funding; the application deadline is November 6. HHS has updated its Provider Relief Fund FAQ with seven changes marked “Modified 10/1/2020.”  The changes, found on [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 1. Provider Relief Fund HHS announced the planned distribution of $20 billion in new funding for providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Under this Phase 3 General Distribution allocation, providers that have already received Provider Relief Fund payments will be invited to apply for additional funding that considers financial losses and increased expenses experienced due to COVID-19.  Previously ineligible providers, such as those that began practicing in 2020, will also be invited to apply, and an expanded group of behavioral [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as 2:30 p.m. on Monday, September 29. Provider Relief Fund HHS has revised its Provider Relief Fund FAQ with updated information about the tax identification number (TIN) validation process for phase 2 general distribution payments. The update consists of six changes, all marked “modified 9/28/2020,” on pages 30 and 31 of that document.   Department of Health and Human Services HHS announced that it will distribute 150 million units of a rapid point-of-care COVID-19 diagnostic test to states with the expectation that they will be used to facilitate the [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Monday, September 21. Provider Relief Fund Reporting Requirements HHS has updated its Provider Relief Fund web page with the document “General and Targeted Distribution: Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements.”  The purpose of this document is to inform recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments that received one or more payments exceeding $10,000 in the aggregate of the data elements they will be required to report as part of the post-payment reporting process.  This is important because it identifies how HHS will calculate lost revenue and COVID-related [...]

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 3:30 p.m. on Friday, September 18. CMS/Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes In June, CMS established a Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes to “address safety and quality in nursing homes in relation to the public health emergency.  The main purpose of the independent Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes… was to solicit lessons learned from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations for future actions to improve infection prevention and control measures, safety procedures, and [...]