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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced its plan to end the Federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 on May 11, 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency declarations, legislation, and regulatory waivers across government agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), allowed for flexibility in the delivery of care to patients, including the expanded use of telehealth. Originally intended to conserve healthcare resources and prevent unnecessary exposure to COVID-19, the use of virtual care has exploded since the beginning of the pandemic to become an intrinsic, essential part of the healthcare delivery system. Now, at the end of the PHE, we examine the path forward for telehealth and the extent to which providers may continue to offer it to patients.…

Continue Reading Two Weeks’ Notice for the Public Health Emergency: What’s Next for Telehealth

Hospice Insights

Each July, the Medicare Administrative Contractors issue notices of a 2% Medicare payment reduction to those providers who did not meet quality data reporting requirements. Those notices have been sent. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Jacob Harris talk about the issues providers faced in 2021 and how to pursue an appeal of…

Recent legislative changes indicate that Congress is committed to continuing to allow patients to access telehealth services after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) ends, but it is gathering more information before making such changes permanent. Comments from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”) Secretary Xavier Becerra and the HHS Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) indicate that HHS is committed to expanding telehealth beyond the end of the PHE and that the OIG recognizes the long-term benefits of access to these services.
Continue Reading Telehealth Flexibilities Extended to Late 2022 and Likely Beyond

Hospice Insights

Strategic Restructuring for the Future: Exploring How Hospices Are Using Joint Ventures, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Service Diversification to Transform

Change, transformation, disruption: whatever you want to call it, it’s happening in the hospice industry over the next 5 years. It is unquestionable that the carve-in to Medicare Advantage, the rise of value-based care and steady market consolidation is changing the playing field. How do hospices respond? In this series, we explore how hospices are and can restructure their businesses. We discuss the opportunities and limits of different models: palliative care, affiliations for payor contracting or the more transformative change brought through a merger or acquisition. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, hospices can explore new ways of being. We are excited to guide you on this road and hope these conversations help as you explore these important questions within your organization and determine your best path into the future.
Continue Reading Strategic Restructuring for the Future, Think Before You Sign: Five Key Insights for VBID and Managed Care Contracts

Provider Relief Fund Update

On September 10, the Biden-Harris Administration, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced that $25.5 billion in relief funds will be distributed to healthcare providers through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The American Rescue Plan (ARP) will provide $8.5 billion in funding and an additional $17 billion will be distributed as Phase 4 Provider Relief Funds (PRF).
Continue Reading Healthcare Providers to Receive $25.5 Billion in Relief Funds

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By October 1, 2021, hospices will need to update their election addendum form to address a change made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the final rule. The government has provided much-needed clarification and flexibility to certain aspects regarding the addendum. When should hospices provide the addendum to patients? What should hospices do if a patient refuses a signer’s discharge prior to signing the addendum? In this episode we answer these questions and discuss other key changes related to the addendum announced in the final rule: https://bit.ly/3zx5SGJ…
Continue Reading Parsing Out Changes in the Election Addendum Made by the Final Hospice Wage Index Rule

Economic Hardship Covid19

On October 1, 2020 the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced that it will distribute a total of $20 billion as part of Phase 3 of the Provider Relief Funds. The application for Phase 3 funding is now open and will be available from October 5 – November 6, 2020. However, HHS has urged providers to apply early, which may be an indication that the funds will be available on a first-come first-serve basis.

Below are some key details regarding Phase 3:…
Continue Reading HHS Opens Application for $20 Billion of Phase 3 General Distribution Provider Relief Funds

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On July 20, 2020, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified providers that if they received $10,000 or more in funds from the general or targeted Provider Relief Fund (PRF) established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, reports on how those funds were used will be required. HHS expects to release (through the Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA] website) detailed instructions on reporting requirements by August 17, 2020. Specifically, reports will be required of any provider who received one or more payments exceeding $10,000 in the aggregate from:…
Continue Reading HHS Begins Clarifying Reporting Requirements for Provider Relief Funds

Updated Thursday, April 2, 2020

CMS 1135 waivers allow the U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services Secretary to temporarily waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Policy (CHIP), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements to ensure that sufficient health care items and services are available to meet needs during a declared public health emergency.  Individual health care providers and associations may trigger additional waivers through feedback and requests to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response or CMS Regional Offices.
Continue Reading COVID-19 Update: Kansas 1135 Waivers and State Flexibilities

Updated Thursday, April 2, 2020

CMS 1135 waivers allow the U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services Secretary to temporarily waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Policy (CHIP), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements to ensure that sufficient health care items and services are available to meet needs during a declared public health emergency.  Individual health care providers and associations may trigger additional waivers through feedback and requests to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response or CMS Regional Offices.
Continue Reading COVID-19 Update: Missouri 1135 Waivers and State Flexibilities