Federal Update 4-27-20

Below is a round-up of federal action on COVID-19 since the last newsletter:

• CMS has released payments to providers including home health and hospice agencies from the CARES Act Emergency Relief Fund. The announcement is available HERE. Providers must sign an attestation when they’ve received the funds and adhere to terms and conditions which are available on the provider relief fund page.
• The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) partnered with the American Hospital Association on a letter to CMS calling for more regulatory flexibility for home health and hospice agencies responding to COVID-19. The letter is signed by state home health and hospital associations, including the VNAs of Vermont and the Vermont Association for Hospitals and Health Systems.  
• The VNAs of Vermont continue to advocate for Medicare payment for telehealth visits, but as of this writing they cannot count toward the LUPA threshold. A NAHC FAQ on Medicare telehealth is now available.
• CMS issued a blanket waiver on April 21 that includes items relevant to home health and hospice. The document is the comprehensive list of all waivers issued to date. Our partners at NAHC have developed several FAQs related to Medicare Conditions of Participation changes:
• Modified conditions of participation under the public health emergency
• NPPs and home health services under the public health emergency