On April 19, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued recommendations to States for resuming non-emergent, non-COVID-19 health care in areas with “low, or relatively low incidence of COVID-19” that relate to recent reopening guidance. The CMS recommendations are not…
On April 17, 2020, Governor Holcomb issued Executive Order 20-19 to expand the health care provider workforce available to battle Indiana’s COVID-19 spread. Specifically, the Executive Order expands the list of providers eligible to prescribe orders for home health services and authorizes certain…
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that effective April 2, 2020, it will not impose penalties against health care providers or their business associates for certain violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability…
On March 30, 2020, Governor Holcomb issued Executive Order 20-13 (“EO 20-13”) to remove legal and administrative restrictions affecting health care space, workforce, personal protective equipment, and telemedicine to more fully prepare for the COVID-19 outbreak in Indiana. The new directives are…
On March 26, 2020 Indiana’s Governor Holcomb issued Executive Order 20-12, pursuant to his authority under Indiana’s Emergency Management and Disaster Law (IC 10-14-3), authorizing important changes to the Medicaid prior authorization and telemedicine requirements for Indiana providers. Note, the…
Currently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) may authorize accelerated/advance payments when there is a disruption in claims submission and/or claims processing. CMS is also authorized to provide accelerated/advance payments during public health emergencies. CMS is utilizing…
The CARES Act provides for a number of provisions relevant to health care providers and access to health care services. Specifically, the legislation includes, among other forms of health care related relief, support for expansion of telehealth services, Medicare policy changes, coverage of…
The Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) recently published guidance clarifying the circumstances under which law enforcement, paramedics, other emergency personnel, and public health authorities[1] may disclose an individual’s protected health…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (“CMS”) recently released two comprehensive toolkits on telehealth offering guidance for both general practitioners as well as providers treating patients with End-Stage Renal Disease. Responding to the COVID-19 public health crisis, CMS has expanded access to…
During this Public Health Emergency it is important to remember that the civil rights of patients still must be upheld. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently provided a Bulletin regarding the civil rights laws and their implementing…
On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) published a new FAQs on Telehealth and HIPAA during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency (the “FAQ”). The OCR clarifies guidance provided in its Notification of Enforcement Discretion for…
Professionals have been working remotely from their home, their hotel rooms, and even their cars, for years. The COVID-19 crisis caused many of us to significantly increase the number of persons working remotely, the number of hours per day worked remotely, and extent and nature of work being done…
