COVID-19 RURAL DIGEST

APRIL 14, 2020

The emergence of COVID-19 has caused an almost unprecedented amount of change in the framework surrounding rural care. The CORH team is dedicated to providing regular updates on this evolving situation to healthcare leaders across the country.

As the pandemic unfolds, we foresee sending out updates twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays with new developments.

CDC’s Number of Confirmed Cases of Covid-19 (04.14): 554,849

CDC’s Number of Confirmed Deaths due to Covid-19 (04.14): 21,942

See a city-by-city map of confirmed cases: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

CMS announces range of new policies to aide hospitals during COVID-19 crisis

  • Acts to ensure U.S. healthcare facilities can maximize frontline workforces to confront COVID-19 crisis
    • Allowance for hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to screen patients at a location offsite.
    • Provide additional flexibility related to verbal orders where readback verification is required, but authentication may occur later than 48 hours.
    • CMS is waiving requirements under 42 CFR §482.13 only for hospitals that are considered to be impacted by a widespread outbreak of COVID-19.
    • CMS is waiving requirements (also outlined in USP797) at 42 CFR §482.25(b)(1) and §485.635(a)(3).
    • Physicians whose privileges will expire can continue practicing at the hospital along with new physicians to be able to practice.
    • Read full release: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/summary-covid-19-emergency-declaration-waivers.pdf
  • Administration announces expanded coverage for essential diagnostic services amid COVID-19 public health emergency

CMS expands 1135 waivers

  • More entities are being provided 1135 waivers; there are approved 50 emergency waivers, 27 state amendments, 8 COVID-related Medicaid Disaster Amendments.

CCPHPCA provides full updates on telehealth policies and usage