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COVID-19 Topic: Health Policy

Has the Department of Justice (DOJ) shared any guidance stating that individuals cannot be required to wear a mask as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

No, the DOJ has not posted any guidance regarding face mask usage in relation to the ADA. The DOJ released the following statement denying issuance or…

Does my policy cover telehealth?

Yes. Curi’s medical professional liability policy will cover telehealth visits for insured physicians during this declared National Emergency—extending, without conditions, for the later of either sixty…

Can we offer telehealth services in states where our physicians aren’t licensed?

Curi’s medical professional liability policy will cover telehealth visits for insured physicians during this declared National Emergency—extending, without conditions, for the later of either sixty (60)…

What are the new requirements on prescribing controlled substances through telehealth?

Due to COVID-19, a nationwide public health emergency was declared on Jan. 31. As such, The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has relaxed rules previously in place…

Is there additional language that I should include in my medical record documentation when offering care by telehealth during this time?

We (and a cross section of our outside defense counsel) strongly recommend practices incorporate the following language into any applicable notes by copy and paste: “On…

What criteria related to telehealth still apply during this national emergency?

While in this expedited phase of telehealth, there are still some steps from a more comprehensive list of requirements that should be followed: Use Curi’s telemedicine…

Where can I find information about practicing telehealth in my state?

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) resource, “Telemedicine Policies Board by Board Overview,” is searchable by state and includes links to specific telehealth rules. The National…

WEBINAR: COVID-19 Vaccine Policy Updates

COVID-19 Health Equity Resources

Learn about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected minority populations and identify strategies to reduce health disparities and promote health equity.

Curi COVID-19 Webinar Series

Curi recently hosted a six-week series of webinars designed to help practices weather the COVID-19 crisis with information and actionable guidance. Every Thursday from April 30th…

WEBINAR: Risk, Policy, and Professional Liability in a Pandemic

Click here to download a PDF version of the presentation.

WEBINAR: Keeping the Doors Open in a Pandemic: Practice Financing and Relief Funds

Curi’s Senior Vice President of Health Policy, Sam Cohen, and our Senior Vice President of Finance, Ben Remke, discuss how practices facing COVID-based financial hardship can access funds from federal initiatives such as the Paycheck Protection Program and the Main Street Lending Program.

HSA Eligible Expenses Expanded

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
(CARES Act) was signed into law. In addition to providing direct financial
assistance to Americans, the CARES Act repeals the Medicine Cabinet Tax
provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), expanding the list of qualifying
expenses that can be purchased with health savings accounts (HSAs).

HHS Reopens Provider Relief Fund Portal

The federal Department of Health and Human Services has reopened the Provider Relief Fund portal for Period 1 reporting, from Dec. 13 until Dec. 20. In addition, Period 2 reporting begins…

Biden Administration Launches Family Vaccination Clinic Program

The Biden Administration earlier this month announced an effort to encourage health centers to hold “family vaccination days,” where whole families can receive their COVID-19 vaccinations…

Federal Court Rulings Leave Future of Federal Vaccine Mandates in Doubt

Recent rulings from federal courts have put into question the future of two COVID-19 vaccine mandates instituted by the Biden Administration. On Nov. 29 and 30, two separate U.S….

$7.5 Billion Disbursed for Rural Providers

HHS last week began releasing $7.5 billion for providers who serve rural Medicaid, CHIP, and Medicare beneficiaries. The funds, which are disbursed from the American Rescue Plan (ARP),…

Grace Period for First Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period Ends

Nov. 30 marks the end of the 60-day grace period for providers to submit reporting requirements for the first reporting period of the Provider Relief Fund. The…

Federal Government Releases Two Workplace Vaccination Policies

CMS last week released an emergency regulation requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at healthcare facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released…

HHS Opens Application Portal for $25.5 Billion in Provider Funding

HHS yesterday opened the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal, which providers can use to apply for a new round of $25.5 billion in funding for providers…

HHS Delays Enforcement of Parts of Interoperability Rule

Citing the need for healthcare organizations to focus on responding to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services yesterday announced that it is delaying enforcement of certain elements of the interoperability rules in the 21st Century Cures Act.

CMS Extends Repayment Period for Medicare Loans to Providers During COVID-19

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced new terms for payments issued to providers through the Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) program, which provides emergency advance payments in emergency situations.

Pennsylvania Bill Seeks Liability Protections for Physicians Treating COVID-19 Patients

A bill in the Pennsylvania legislature would protect healthcare providers from liability while treating or providing testing to COVID-19 patients (absent gross negligence, recklessness, or misconduct)….

Curi Webinar Provides COVID-Related Legislative and Regulatory Updates

In a new CME-eligible webinar produced by Curi, data privacy and security attorney Richard Sheinis provides an update on new regulations and legislative changes that have arisen as…

Georgia Governor Signs Bill With Healthcare Liability Protections

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp yesterday signed into law a bill that includes civil liability protections for healthcare providers. The new law, which is in effect throughout…

HHS Releases Provider Relief Fund Reporting Guidance

The federal Department of Health and Human Services has released guidance on reporting requirements for practices that received more than $10,000 from the CARES Act Provider…

Virginia Establishes COVID-19 Workplace Safety Mandate

The state of Virginia yesterday adopted the nation’s first mandatory workplace safety standards to keep people from being infected with the novel coronavirus at work. The measures include…

North Carolina Issues COVID-19 Reporting Order

North Carolina’s health director today issued a temporary order that requires physicians and others ordering or conducting COVID-19 diagnostic tests to report negative tests. Reporting positive tests was…

Small Business Administration Announces Increased Disclosure About Paycheck Protection Program Recipients

The U.S. Small Business Administration on Friday announced that it will publish details about recipients of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds. SBA will disclose business names,…

HHS Updates Reporting Requirements for Recipients of Provider Relief Fund Payments

In an update to its CARES Act FAQs, HHS has clarified that Provider Relief Fund recipients do not need to submit a quarterly report, although future…

HHS Announces Updates to Provider Relief Fund

HHS today announced that it plans to distribute approximately $15 billion to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and have not received…

HHS Updates Provider Relief Fund FAQs

CMS has added new FAQs on the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund to its program website. The relevant questions concern additional information about the expenses and lost…

Curi Webinar Thursday Addresses Risk Management, Health Policy, and MPL Topics

The next installment in Curi’s COVID-19 webinar series, “Risk, Policy, and Professional Liability in a Pandemic,” will take place at noon on Thursday, May 21. Curi’s Chief Legal…

Georgia Executive Order Leaves Questions About Civil Immunity for Private Practice Physicians During the Pandemic

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp yesterday issued a broad-reaching executive order purporting to expand the definition of which healthcare providers are engaged in emergency management activity and…

Pennsylvania Civil Immunity Executive Order

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf yesterday entered an executive order purporting to “provide civil immunity for healthcare providers” during the COVID-19 declared state of emergency. The extent…

Curi COVID-19 Webinar Thursday

Curi’s six-week series of webinars designed to help practices weather the COVID-19 crisis continues tomorrow, with Curi’s Sam Cohen and Ben Remke presenting “Keeping the Doors…

HHS OCR Issues Reminder About Media and Protected Health Information

The HHS Office of Civil Rights yesterday issued guidance for covered health providers reminding them that, even during the COVID-19 public health emergency, they are still…

Civil Immunity for North Carolina Healthcare Providers and Entities During Pandemic

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper today signed the “COVID-19 Recovery Act,” which provides immunity to all healthcare providers and healthcare entities providing care to any patient…

Curi Webinar on Practice Financing Options

Curi’s webinar series continues next Thursday, May 7, with “Keeping the Doors Open in a Pandemic: Practice Financing and Relief Funds.” Curi’s Senior Vice President of…

New CMS Waivers and Rules

CMS yesterday announced a number of new regulatory waivers and rule changes to provide flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The actions include changes making it easier for beneficiaries…

Virginia Governor Signs Civil Immunity Executive Order

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam yesterday entered an executive order clarifying existing state law that healthcare providers and practices responding to a stated public health emergency—including COVID-19—are immune…

Provider Funding Support News

The general distribution application portal for the next round of $20 billion in funding from the federal CARES Act Provider Relief Fund is now live.

Provider Relief Fund Distributions

HHS has announced how it will allocate the remaining $70 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund under the CARES Act. $20 billion will be…

HHS Opens CARES Act Payment Attestation Portal  

HHS has released a new website allowing providers who have received payments under the CARES Act to confirm receipt of the funds and agree to the program’s terms and conditions. The portal is available here. 

Virginia Law Protects Physicians Seeking Mental Health Support  

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed a new law with implications for physicians managing stress and burnout during the COVID-19 health crisis. Under SB 120, physicians and other healthcare…

HHS Provides Clarification on CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

HHS has updated its website for the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund to clarify that not having treated a suspected or actual COVID-19 patient does not…

Georgia Issues Civil Liability Executive Order

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp yesterday entered an executive order that, among other things, extended civil immunity from suit during the declared pandemic to “healthcare institutions and…

New Jersey Civil Immunity Executive Order

New Jersey’s governor yesterday issued an executive order granting immunity from civil suits to clinicians providing healthcare services in support of the COVID-19 response during the…

Prescribing Flexibility for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has issued new guidance giving DEA-registered physicians the ability to prescribe buprenorphine over the telephone for patients with opioid use disorder. This guidance…

CMS Temporary Regulatory Waivers

CMS yesterday issued a number of temporary regulatory waivers to provide hospitals and other health care providers with flexibility to respond to the COVID-19 health emergency. The changes cover…

CMS Expands Support for Providers With Financial Challenges

CMS has released a fact sheet detailing how providers can quickly access funds through its Accelerated and Advance Payment Program. These funds may support practices and other entities…

Protections for Medical Volunteers in CARES Act

One provision of the CARES Act provides limited liability protection for doctors who volunteer across state lines during the pandemic—offering a boost for efforts to put providers where…

HIPAA Privacy Rule Guidance

The HHS Office of Civil Rights has published guidance clarifying that the HIPAA Privacy Rule does permit disclosure of patient COVID-19 information to law enforcement, paramedics, other first responders, and public health authorities without patient authorization.

Families First Coronavirus Response Act Resources

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued two valuable documents relative to the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA): an FAQ for employers and guidance on paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave. In addition, the North Carolina Medical Group Management Association is hosting a free webinar about the implications of the FFCRA for practices on March 27.

North Carolina Provider Guidance

In North Carolina, the Department of Health and Human Services has released updated guidance for health care providers, including updates on changes in testing recommendations and standards for discontinuing isolation. The department also released a related document with updated outpatient triage and assessment guidance. In addition, the state Health Director has issued an order requiring physicians to report suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infections causing death.

CMS Section 1135 Medicaid Waivers

CMS yesterday approved section 1135 Medicaid waivers for 11 states, including New Jersey, North Carolina, and Virginia. (Florida had a waiver approved on March 16.) These waivers cover issues such as provider enrollment, pre-admission screening and annual assessments for nursing facility residents, the provision of services in alternative (unlicensed) facilities, and prior authorization requirements.

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