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

 

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

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC has published a flowchart for the management of health care workers who have been exposed to a person with COVID-19