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 3 General Distribution: Learn About the Provider Relief Fund,” which offers a detailed explanation of how providers can determine whether they are eligible for a Phase 3 distribution and, if they believe they are, how to apply for that funding. Applications are now being accepted and the deadline for applying is November 6.
- 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.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CMS has published more information about the new terms for repaying Medicare loans the federal government made to providers through Medicare’s Advanced and Accelerated Payment Program. The new terms include a delayed deadline for beginning repayment, an extended period to make repayment, lower interest rates for those who do not repay their loans on time, and a process for seeking an extension on loan repayment. Learn more from the following resources:
- CMS’s announcement of the program’s repayment terms
- a fact sheet on the program changes
- an FAQ on the changes
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls
CMS hosts recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to its response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
Office Hours
Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and health care systems to increase hospital capacity, expand the health care workforce, and promote telehealth in Medicare.
Tuesday, October 13 at 5:00 (eastern)
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 6379959
Audio Webcast link: https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2607
Tuesday, October 27 at 5:00 (eastern) – dial-in and other information to be announced later.
Nursing Homes
Wednesday, October 14 at 4:30 (eastern)
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 1897041 Audio Webcast Link: https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2622
Wednesday, October 28 at 4:30 (eastern) – dial-in and other information to be announced later.
American Medical Association
- The AMA has introduced new CPT codes for COVID-19 testing and for joint COVID-19/flu testing and other COVID-19-related activities.
Food and Drug Administration
- The FDA has issued recommendations to health care providers on giving clear instructions to patients who self-collect nasal samples for COVID-19 in a health care setting.
- The FDA has announced that it will no longer review laboratory-developed tests for COVID-19, saying that it “…will not require premarket review of LDTs, to make the best use of our resources for the greatest public health benefit… FDA continues to prioritize review of EUA requests for POC [point of care] tests, home collection tests, at-home tests, tests that reduce reliance on test supplies, and high-throughput, widely distributed tests.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
