COVID-19

Coronavirus Update for Tuesday, February 16

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16. Department of Health and Human Services HHS has announced new staff appointments. They are: Office of the Secretary Sean McCluskie, Chief of Staff Anne Reid, Deputy Chief of Staff Dawn O’Connell, Senior Counselor, COVID Response Sarah Despres, Counselor for Public Health and Science Kristin Avery, White House Liaison Kathryn Alvarez, Deputy Chief of Staff, COVID Response Perrie Briskin, Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff David Kessler, Chief Science Officer, COVID Response Shannon Myricks, Deputy White House Liaison Esmeralda Orozco, Special [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-17T08:49:22-05:00February 17, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Thursday, February 11

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 11. The White House The White House has announced the membership of its COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. See this White House fact sheet to learn more about the task force, its objectives, and its members. The White House has announced the introduction of a community health center vaccination program next week, with doses of vaccines to be sent directly to such facilities, and an increase in the supply of vaccines to be shared with states, tribes, and territories. Learn more from [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-12T06:00:04-05:00February 12, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Tuesday, February 9

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has updated its “COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing” document with three updated answers addressing data reporting requirements for ambulance service providers and changes in those requirements and payments for services in response to the COVID-19 emergency. The new information can be found on pages 55 and 56. HHS and CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls HHS Clinical Rounds Peer-to-Peer Virtual Communities of Practice HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-10T06:00:34-05:00February 10, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Friday, February 5

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 5. The White House The White House has published a fact sheet describing the administration’s actions to increase the COVID-19 vaccine supply, launch a federal retail pharmacy program, and expand FEMA reimbursement to states for COVID-19-related services provided by FEMA and the National Guard. A separate memo from the president to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security describes the additional responsibilities delegated to that agency in greater detail. Provider Relief Fund A new proposal has been adopted by the [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-08T06:00:03-05:00February 8, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Monday, February 1

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, February 1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has compiled resources and materials to help providers share important and relevant information about the COVID-19 vaccine with the people they serve. These resources include: CMS’s COVID-19 Partner Resources Page the HHS COVID Education Campaign page the CDC Resources for Health Care Providers Page CMS’s COVID-19 Provider Toolkit CMS’s FAQ on Medicare fee-for-service billing Resources for Medicare beneficiaries about coverage for COVID-19 vaccines CMS has updated its list of hospitals approved to participate in [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-02T06:00:00-05:00February 2, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Uncategorized|

Coronavirus Update for Friday, January 29

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, January 29. The Biden Administration The Biden administration has issued an “Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act” to make it easier for the uninsured to get coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order: reopens access to the federal Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace for three months, from February 15 through May 15, and restores some of the Affordable Care Act exchange marketing funds that had been eliminated by the previous administration and calls for the review of all [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-01T06:00:16-05:00February 1, 2021|Affordable Care Act, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicaid|

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. CMS has updated its Medicare COVID-19 Data Snapshot, which reports [...]

iqtsupport2021-01-27T06:00:11-05:00January 27, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

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 of color and other underserved populations.” Executive Order on a [...]

iqtsupport2021-01-22T08:45:43-05:00January 22, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

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 portal where they ultimately will submit their information in compliance [...]

iqtsupport2021-01-18T06:00:58-05:00January 18, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Wednesday, January 13

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13. Provider Relief Fund HHS has updated its Provider Relief Fund FAQ with nine new or modified questions on pages 12-13, 13, 15 (three questions), 40-41, 41, and 56. The new and modified questions address how changes of ownership affect providers’ ability to receive Provider Relief Fund grants and nursing home quality incentive payments; answer questions about audit deadlines and extensions; and describe the methodology for calculating Phase 3 distributions and the timing and size of those distributions. Providers that have received [...]

iqtsupport2021-01-14T06:00:43-05:00January 14, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|