Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Announces New Policies to Help Physicians and Hospitals Suring COVID-19
Late yesterday, CMS released a number of new policies to help physicians and hospitals during the pandemic. These actions include: Medicare coverage for telephone services, significant additions to the list of covered telehealth services, such as emergency visits, greater clarity on the use of remote patient monitoring for acute conditions like the virus and allowing Ambulatory Surgery Centers to contract with local healthcare systems to provide hospital services.
Providers will be able to evaluate beneficiaries via auto phones and bill for telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person visits. This includes new, as well as established patients. In addition, ASCs can enroll and bill as hospitals during the emergency and will be able to offer services, such as trauma and essential surgeries as well as cancer procedures. CMS is also providing temporary relief from many audit and reporting requirements by extending deadlines and suspending documentation requests.
Below are the links to a CMS fact sheet, as well as the CMS press release:
Accelerated and Advance Medicare Payments
Recently, CMS announced an expansion of its accelerated and advance payment program for Medicare participating providers and suppliers. To clarify, payment requests can be up to 100% of three months based on historical claims data, and CMS requests a “good faith” estimate. The recoupment begins four months after the advanced payment is allocated. From then on, claims will be automatically reduced to repay the advanced amount for up to 90 days. We have heard that carriers are telling providers that a high interest rate will be applied after the 90 days. We are working to get clarification – because it was our understanding that there would be no interest.
As a reminder, to qualify for these payments, the provider must:
- Have billed Medicare for claims within 180 days immediately prior to the date of signature on the provider’s form,
- Not be in bankruptcy.
- Not be under active medical review or program integrity investigation, and
- Not have any outstanding delinquent Medicare payments.
We recommend that you contact your Medicare carrier to get additional information.
Information on the accelerated/advance payment process and how to submit a request form can be found here.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act – Key Physician – Related Provisions
ASCRS and the surgical community lobbied for specific provisions included within the CARES Act that provides relief for ASCRS members and their practices. The key physician-related provisions are highlighted in the ASCRS/ASOA Phase III document.
In addition, the congressional staff prepared an FAQ document on the CARES Act. ASCRS will be joining the American College of Surgeons and the surgical coalition in a letter to HHS requesting clarification on certain provisions and additional information. We will continue to keep you updated as additional details are released.