April Archives
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HHS Opens New Portal for Providers to Submit Claims
April 30, 2020
Categories: COVID-19, General, Reimbursement
This week HHS opened a new portal which allows providers, including DME providers, to submit claims to be reimbursed at Medicare reimbursement rates if they provided equipment and services to uninsured patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Some key highlights and provisions of the program are as follows:
Providers can begin submitting claims May 6th Dates of service can be February 4th or after are eligible for reimbursement Providers must enroll in the program (obtain an Optum... Read More -
Paycheck Protection Program Loans Over $2M Will Now Be Audited Before Being Forgiven
April 29, 2020
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been the subject of criticism since the initial $349B pool of money associated with the program was exhausted in just 2 weeks, and details emerged regarding large, publicly traded companies receiving millions of dollars in loans through the program. There are several examples of public companies with substantial market value and access to capital markets applying and being approved for PPP loans. The criticism of the program led Treasury Secretary Steven...
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IMPORTANT CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Update
April 27, 2020
HHS has begun distributing the remaining $20 billion of the $50 billion general distribution to Medicare providers to augment providers’ allocations so that the whole $50 billion general distribution is allocated proportional to providers' share of 2018 net patient revenue. Medicare providers for whom HHS did not have adequate cost report data on file will need to submit their revenue information to the General Distribution Portal to be able to receive additional general distribution...
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CMS Reevaluates Accelerated Payment Program and Suspends Advance Payment Program
April 27, 2020
An Accelerated/Advance Payment is intended to provide necessary funds when there is an interruption in claim submission. The expedited payments are offered in circumstances including natural disasters or national emergences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary loan programs are available to both Part A and Part B providers/suppliers as resource to assist with cash flow disruptions.Effective April 26th, 2020, CMS will not be accepting any... Read MoreCOVID-19 3.5 Emergency Relief Passes the House
April 23, 2020
Today the House overwhemlingly passed the $484 billion agreement to deliver more pandemic aid to small businesses and hospitals, in addition to federal, state and local coronavirus testing. The President is expected to sign the bill either tonight or tomorrow.
Specifics:
$310 billion unrestricted for PPP $60 billion in PPP set aside for smaller institutions (Banks and Credit Unions) $30 billion for assets less than $10 billion $30 billion for assets between $10 billion... Read MoreSenate Passes the COVID-19 3.5 Emergency Relief Bill
April 21, 2020
Categories: General
This afternoon, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, the $484 billion agreement to deliver more pandemic aid to small businesses and hospitals in addition to federal, state, and local coronavirus testing. The House is expected to return Thursday for an in-person vote.The measure — originally meant to serve as an “interim” small business fix before lawmakers embarked on negotiations for another trillion-dollar-plus relief package... Read MorePhase Into The New Normal: ATHOMES and ACMESA Webinar
April 21, 2020
Categories: General
ATHOMES and ACMESA members: Join our webinar on Thursday, April 23 at 2 p.m. CT!
There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic will change healthcare, and life in general, for the entire country. How does the DME industry phase into the new normal? Please join us for this ATHOMES and ACMESA members-only webinar presented by the VGM Government Relations team.
Mark Higley will speak about the states that are beginning to open up for business, what to expect, and what steps...
Read MoreFrom the Desk of Ronda Buhrmester: Knowledge, Experience, and Good Judgement
April 21, 2020
Categories: General
Within the home medical equipment community, we must make decisions based on many factors including knowledge, experience, and good judgment.
We have the knowledge and good judgement, and we have experience based on our daily activity and time in the industry. But we are lacking experience at this time in the history of our industry because of the public health emergency (PHE). We are learning as we go and adapting to the rapid changes.
We gain knowledge when...
Read MoreApril 16 UPDATE: The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund
April 16, 2020
Categories: General
As most DMEPOS suppliers are likely aware, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its distribution of $30 billion in funds from the $100 billion Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Many have received their payments. For those who have questions about their payments, please call 877-842-3210 and choose option 7. You will be asked to provide your Tax ID number, and...
Read MoreStudy Shows N95 Respirators Can Be Decontaminated for Re-Use
April 15, 2020
Categories: General
National Institutes of Health recently conducted a study and found that N95 respirators can be decontaminated effectively for as many as three uses. In a statement from NIH, they state that decontamination methods tested included vaporized hydrogen peroxide, 70-degree Celsius dry heat, ultraviolet light, and 70% ethanol spray.To read the full study, click here.Read More