Regulatory Center
COVID-19 / Corona Virus Regulatory Updates
Stimulus #4
There is a fourth stimulus bill in development in Congress that will have some provisions of interest to healthcare providers.
- Additional funding for hospitals and other healthcare providers, especially those in rural areas.
- Additional expansion of telehealth, including coverage for additional types of provider.
- Funding to address the unmet financial needs of COVID-19 patients.
- Additional Medicaid funding for states.
- Creation of a special enrollment period for health coverage under the ACA (Affordable Care Act).
A group of hospice organizations — including the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), Leading Age, Elevating Home/VNAA, NAHC, and the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI) — have come together to establish hospice priorities that should be addressed in the next stimulus package. In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the stakeholders identified four focus areas that should be addressed in future COVID-19 legislation.
- Hospice and community-based providers need to be included priority distributions of PPE and COVID-19 test kits.
- A 1% increase in hospice payments through the duration of the public health emergency or December 31, 2020, whichever comes first.
- Expansion of the types of providers allowed to bill for advanced care planning.
- Support for pending legislation that would enhance the hospice and palliative care workforce during the pandemic and beyond.
COVID Relief Funding Revenue / Cost Template
As of April 25th over $50 billion of provider relief has been distributed to Medicare providers. Further distributions (to a total of $170 billion) are in development. If you have received any of these funds you are required to understand the terms and conditions for the use of these funds and provide attestation that they were used for COVID-19 related issues. Currently the National Association of Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) has developed a template, COVID Relief Funding Revenue and Cost Tracking.
If you would be interested in obtaining this template you may make a request via www.nahc.org.
At the time this newsletter went to press no other organizations had yet developed a COVID-19 revenue and cost tracking template.
Patient Notification of Hospice Non-Covered Items, Services and Drugs
We have been keeping abreast of the information related to the Addendum of Election of Benefits Statements due to be implemented as of October 1, 2020. If you go back to our March newsletter, we provided detail on what information is required to be on the patient notification form.
Recently CMS made sample templates available for the Hospice Election Statement and the Addendum (see links below). You are not required to use either of these templates, you may develop your own. However, these templates do have all the items CMS requires to be on these forms.
For your consideration
Drug Shortages: An Ongoing Concern
Although not in short supply per se, hospitals serving COVID-19 patients are getting priority for the following drugs:
- Chloroquine
- Hydroxychloroquine
- Droperidol
- Dobutamine
Updated
Drug Shortage List
These shortages are due either from manufacturing delays or shortage of raw ingredients. This is not an inclusive list, but the listed drugs may be used for hospice patients, especially in the inpatient setting. For a complete list of drugs on shortage follow this link:
https://www.drugs.com/drug-shortages/
The FDA is warning that there may be an increase in drug shortages due to the effect the coronavirus is having on raw products coming out of China and India used in the manufacturing of drugs.
NOTE: Any items marked with a pill icon are new from the previous month’s newsletter
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About the Author
David Bougher
Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs
David is a seasoned veteran of the hospice world and an essential member of the Wise Hospice Options clinical team.
Education:
RN, BSN
Experience:
- Former hospice COO
- 20 Years of education & training experience
- 10 Years of experience at Wise Hospice Options
Connect
- (800) 856-9757 Ext: 203
- dbougher@wiseop.com
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Deanna Rice
Vice President
Clinical Services
drice@wiseop.com
(800) 856-9757:
EXT. 216
Tino Vilches
Senior Vice President
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tvilches@wiseop.com
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