Visit the following organization’s COVID-19 webpage for more resources and information by clicking on their name.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

• 2% Sequestration Suspension – As part of the CARES Act, all healthcare providers receiving Medicare payments will see the 2% sequestration reduction suspended during the period May 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.  Find that information here.
• 20% Payment Add-On – As part of the CARES Act, providers being reimbursed under the Medicare hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) will experience a 20% increase in reimbursement for Medicare fee-for-service patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis code.  Find that information here.
• Advance/Accelerated Payments – Hospitals are eligible to receive advance or accelerated payments from the Medicare Program.  A fact sheet is located here.
  • Applications for accelerated payments should be made through your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC).  A list of MACs is listed below this section.
  • CMS is not accepting any new applications for the Advance Payment Program and is reevaluating all pending and new Accelerated Payment applications.
• Medicare fee-for-service billing FAQs related to COVID-19 can be found here.

US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)  – CARES Act Provider Relief Fund of $100 billion. Terms and conditions for all distributions can be found here.  Distributions to date are:

• $50 billion in general distribution
• $22 billion in high impact relief funds
• $11 billion in rural provider relief funds
• $13 billion in safety net hospital provider relief funds
• Uninsured relief funds (distributed on a per claim basis)
• Rural health clinic testing
• $4.9 billion for skilled nursing facilities
• $500 million for Tribal Hospitals, Clinics, and Urban Health Centers
• Families First Coronvirus Response Act (FFCRA) uninsured

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – COVID-19 impact on the 340b program

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – COVID-19 Telehealth Program

• As of June 25, 2020, the FCC stopped accepting new applications for this program.

Organizations

• Georgia Hospital Association (GHA)
• Hometown Health
• Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
• National Rural Health Association (NRHA)
• National Association of Community Health Centers
  • Key CARES Act provisions affecting CHCs here.

Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs)

• Palmetto GBA  – Palmetto has published accelerated payments FAQs here.
• WPS
• First Coast Service Options – First Coast has published FAQs here.
• Novitas – Novitas has published FAQs here.