Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources

Federal Resources

The links on this page represent a collection of laws, regulations, waivers and other pronouncements issued by various federal agencies affecting health care providers nationwide in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Federal Resources

10.02.20 | HHS Officially Extends National Public Health Emergency

4.16.20 | Federal Guidelines for Re-opening Following COVID-19. This resource sets forth the federal guidelines for employers and individuals and the criteria for loosening of social distancing restrictions.

Funding Resources

1.08.21 | CARES Act Provider Relief Fund. This HHS Memo describes the purpose of and methodology for deploying the $100 billion of relief for health care providers promised in the CARES Act.

1.08.21 | HHS Fact Sheet for Provider Relief Fund Distribution #2

12.16.20 | CMS FAQ for Medicare Fee-for-Service Billing

11.10.20 | CMS Announces Coverage of Antibody Treatment With No Cost Sharing

11.09.20 | CMS Announces New Payment Guidelines for Testing in Nursing Homes

10.15.20 | New CMS Changes to Medicare Payment to Support Faster COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing

10.14.20 | CMS Expands the List of Medicare Covered Telehealth Services; List of Services

10.08.20 | New CMS Repayment Terms for Medicare Loans to Providers during COVID-19

10.01.20 | HHS Announces Additional $20 Billion in Provider Relief Funding

9.28.20 | New CMS Guidance for Emergency Preparedness Testing Exercise Requirements

9.11.20 | New CMS Guidance on Medicare Inpatient COVID-19 Payment Differential

Terms and Conditions

1.19.20 | Provider Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions. This HHS Memo specifies terms and conditions with which provider relief recipients are required to comply.

12.11.20 | HHS Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions FAQ

10.22.20 | HHS Expands Provider Relief Fund Eligibility and Updates Reporting Requirements

9.25.20 | HHS Post-Payment Reporting Requirements for Recipients Receiving More Than $10,000

5.27.20 | HHS Extends Deadline for Acceptance of the Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions. Providers will now have 90 days instead of 45 days from the date they receive a payment to accept the terms and conditions or return the funds.

7.30.20 | CMS and CDC Announce Provider Reimbursement for Counseling Patients to Self-Isolate after Testing for COVID-19

5.05.20 | HHS Begins Distributions to Hospitals with High COVID-19 Admissions and Rural Providers

4.30.20 | New CMS Waivers; Press Release. CMS has issued additional waivers including allowing pharmacists to perform COVID-19 tests, allowing hospitals to be paid if they see patients and collect samples for COVID-19 testing even if no other services are performed, increasing payments for telehealth services, and no longer reducing Medicare payments if a hospital increases the number of beds.

4.27.20 | Uninsured Program Portal. Through HRSA, HHS has established a portal for health care providers to submit claims for reimbursement COVID-19 testing or treatment performed for uninsured individuals.

4.27.20 | Uninsured Program Portal. Announced through HRSA, HHS has established a portal for health care providers to submit claims for reimbursement COVID-19 testing or treatment performed for uninsured individuals.

5.08.20 | Link to Portal

4.26.20 | CMS Reevaluates the Accelerated Payment Program and Suspends Advance Payment Program. CMS will be curtailing accelerated and advance payments for Medicare services in light of the nearly $100 billion in recent payments to health care providers and suppliers.

4.22.20 | HHS Announces Additional Allocation of CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

4.22.20 | HHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Rural Communities

4.14.20 | Expansion of Medicare Advance Payment Program. CMS suspended the Advance Payment Program due to funding for providers under the CARES Act.

3.23.20 | Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19. This resource provides information on how various expenses related to COVID-19 can be covered under Medicare.

3.17.20 | Telehealth Coverage for COVID-19 Treatment. This resource explains how Medicare can be used to cover telehealth pursuant to the recent waivers.

CMS Regulatory Guidance and Waivers

1.07.21 | FAQ For Medicare Providers

1.04.21 | New CMS Memorandum for Nursing Homes

12.30.20 | Revised CMS Infection Control Survey Tool

12.16.20 | CMS FAQ for Medicare Fee-for-Service Billing

12.14.20 | CMS Relaxes Enforcement of the Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule. CMS announced it would be exercising enforcement discretion and is relaxing enforcement of the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule.

12.03.20 | Summary of Guidance for Rural Health Centers and Federally-Qualified Health Centers. This resource is a summary of the CMS guidance issued in response to COVID-19 for rural and federally-qualified health care providers.

12.01.20 | Additional CMS Waivers for Increased Capacity Flexibility. CMS issued additional waivers to allow hospitals to manage overflow by using areas not normally permitted for patient use, so long as approved by the state and applicable state guidance is followed.

11.19.20 | New CMS Resource Center for Nursing Homes

11.09.20 | CMS Announces New Payment Guidelines for Testing in Nursing Homes

11.04.20 | CMS Hospitals Without Walls. CMS announced that hospitals can now perform services and screening off-site so long as doing so does not interfere with state pandemic response actions.

11.01.20 | New CMS Toolkit for Long Term Care Centers

10.28.20 | CMS Interim Final Rule for Access to COVID-19 Vaccines; Press Release

10.06.20 | CMS Interim Final Rule for Requirements and Enforcement Processes for Reporting COVID-19 Data Elements

9.28.20 | New CMS Guidance for Nursing Homes

9.11.20 | New CMS Guidance on Medicare Inpatient COVID-19 Payment Differential

8.26.20 | CMS Interim Final Rule for COVID-19 Reporting Condition of Participation. CMS announced a new interim final rule that imposes a new condition of participation that requires hospitals to collect and report COVID-19 data.

8.17.20 | CMS Announces Resumption of Routine Inspections for Medicare and Medicaid Certified Providers and Suppliers

6.26.20 | New CMS Guidance for Hospital Visitation

6.25.20 | CMS Revokes Waiver of Nursing Home Staffing Needs Reporting

6.11.20 | CMS Announces Nursing Home Residents Right to Retain Stimulus Payments. Due to reports of seizing residents’ stimulus payments, CMS announced that residents of nursing homes cannot be required to deposit personal funds with the facility pursuant to federal law. CMS will refer cases to the state attorney generals if any violations are found.

6.08.20 | CMS Guidance for Re-Opening Facilities Providing Non-Emergent Care

6.08.20 | CMS Guidance for Seeking Medical Care During Re-Opening

5.26.20 | CMS Fact Sheet for Receiving Payment for Services at Alternate Care Sites

5.18.20 | CMS Guidance for Reopening Nursing Homes

5.15.20 | CMS FAQ for Public Cash Price of COVID-19 Testing

5.08.20 | CMS Allows Pharmacists to Seek Reimbursement for COVID-19 Tests. CMS announced that it will allow pharmacists to be reimbursed directly for performing COVID-19 tests by enrolling temporarily as independent clinical diagnostic laboratories.

5.08.20 | New CMS Medicare Coverage for Telehealth Services FAQ Video

4.30.20 | New CMS Waivers; Press Release. CMS has issued additional waivers including allowing pharmacists to perform COVID-19 tests, allowing hospitals to be paid if they see patients and collect samples for COVID-19 testing even if no other services are performed, increasing payments for telehealth services, and no longer reducing Medicare payments if a hospital increases the number of beds.

4.26.20 | CMS Reevaluates the Accelerated Payment Program and Suspends Advance Payment Program. CMS will be curtailing accelerated and advance payments for Medicare services in light of the nearly $100 billion in recent payments to health care providers and suppliers. 

4.24.20 | New CMS Guidance for Nursing Homes

4.22.20 | New Workplace Virtual Toolkit for Health Care Decision Makers

4.21.20 | CMS Requires Electronic Sharing of Claims and Health Information. The CMS announced a new rule requiring Medicare, Medicaid, federal exchange plans to share claims and other health information with patients through a secure application channel so that patients can access the information through a third-party app of their choosing.

4.19.20 | Recommendations for Re-opening Facilities for Non-emergent Services. CMS has released guidelines for health care facilities to begin providing non-emergent, non-COVID-19 related medical services.

4.19.20 | Reporting Requirements for Nursing Homes. CMS is requiring nursing homes to notify the CDC and other residents of all confirmed cases of COVID-19.

4.15.20 | CMS Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers. CMS has issued broad waivers for many regulatory provisions to ensure flexibility for health care providers and health care facilities in treating the COVID-19 virus. Some of these changes include medical staff waivers, relaxed utilization review requirements, and qualification requirements for various services including respiratory care and dietetic services. The waivers were also expanded to waive the physician supervision of nurse practitioners requirement in some rural areas.

4.11.20 | FAQ About Families First Coronavirus Response Act Implementation. This resource gives guidance for group health plans and health insurance coverage for COVID-19 related testing.

4.10.20 | CMS Relaxes Licensing Requirements. CMS announced it has relaxed licensing requirements allowing doctors to care for patients across state lines via telehealth services, as well as allowing nurse practitioners to perform medical exams at skilled nursing facilities for Medicare patients.

4.07.20 | CMS Guidance for Elective and Non-Essential Procedures

4.06.20 | Interim Final Rule on COVID-19 Changes

3.30.20 | Overview of CMS Regulatory Changes. This resource provides a summary overview of regulatory changes made by CMS in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

3.22.20 | Medicare Quality Reporting Relief. CMS has relaxed requirements for clinicians, providers, and facilities participating in Medicare quality reporting programs and has extended data submission deadlines. (Expired 7/1/20).

3.01.20 | Waiver of Stark Law Provisions. CMS issued blanket waivers of Stark Law provisions and rules against referrals to ensure adequate supply of medical treatment and medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medicare Resources

4.09.20 | FAQ For Medicare Providers

4.03.20 | Interim Final Rule on COVID-19 Changes

3.30.20 | Expansion of Medicaid Advance Payment Program. CMS has increased the availability of advance payments under Medicare Part A and Part B to help ensure adequate cash flow for medical providers.

3.23.20 | Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19. This resource provides information on how various expenses related to COVID-19 can be covered under Medicare.

3.22.20 | Medicare Quality Reporting Relief. CMS has relaxed requirements for clinicians, providers, and facilities  participating in Medicare quality reporting programs and has extended data submission deadlines.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Resources

Please note that the resources found on these pages are periodically updated by the CDC and FDA.

1.19.21 | COVID-19 Publications

1.07.21 | CDC FAQ for Health Care Professionals

12.30.21 | CDC Guidance for Pediatric Health Care Providers

12.23.20 | Vaccination Toolkit for Long-Term Care Facilities

12.11.20 | COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit

12.08.20 | Updated CDC Guidance for Newborns Exposed to COVID-19

12.05.20 | Interim CDC Guidance for Rapid Antigen SARS-CoV-2 Testing

12.03.20 | CDC Guidance for Essential Workers. The CDC has updated its guidelines for essential workers that have contracted COVID-19, indicating that it is safe for them to return to work once they are asymptomatic and take protective measures, rather than waiting the previously recommended two weeks.

11.25.20 | COVID-19 Death Data and Reporting Guidance

11.20.20 | CDC Guidance for Long-term Care Facilities and Nursing Homes

10.28.20 | Updated CDC Guidance on Types of COVID-19 Spread

10.21.20 | Updated CDC Guidance for Evaluating and Testing for COVID-19

8.28.20 | Interim CDC Guidance For Health Care Facilities

8.10.20 | CDC Guidance for Disposition of Patients with COVID-19

8.03.20 | CDC Guidance for Rural Health Care Systems and Health Care Providers

8.01.20 | Interim CDC Guidance for Antibody Testing

7.16.20 | CDC Strategies for Optimizing Supply of PPE

6.25.20 | CDC Updates List of Those at Risk for Severe COVID-19 Illness

6.19.20 | New CDC Training Series for Long-Term Care Staff

5.24.20 | CDC COVID-19 Surge Calculator. The CDC has released a tool for helping hospitals and health officials better predict demand for hospital services.

3.24.20 | Hospital Preparedness Checklist 

2.21.20 | Health Care Professional Preparedness Checklist

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Resources

12.20 | FDA Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers

11.16.20 | FDA FAQ for Diagnostic Testing

11.16.20 | New Compiled FDA Resource Page for Health Care Professionals

9.09.20 | FDA FAQ on Reporting Requirements for Adverse Events for Medical Devices

8.04.20 | FDA Guidance for Health Care Facilities on “In-Use” Time for COVID-19 Medication

7.29.20 | FDA Emergency Use Authorizations for Medical Devices

6.10.20 | FDA Authorizes Use of Point of Care COVID-19 Test

6.07.20 | FDA Reissues Emergency Use Authorization for Decontaminated Respirators

5.04.20 | New FDA Policy for COVID-19 Testing

5.04.20 | New FDA Guidance for the Production of Antibody Tests. The FDA is now requiring government authorization for the production of COVID-19 antibody testing.

HHS Waivers and Guidance

1.19.21 | New Workplace Virtual Toolkit for Health Care Decision Makers

1.08.21 | HHS Fact Sheet for Provider Relief Fund Distribution #2

12.14.20 | OIG FAQ for Enforcement of Anti-Kickback Statute

9.23.20 | New HHS Guidance for Laboratory Reporting

9.09.20 | HHS Guidance for Expanding Access to COVID-19 Vaccines

4.10.20 | CARES Act Provider Relief Fund. This HHS Memo describes the purpose of and methodology for deploying the $100 billion of relief for health care providers promised in the CARES Act.

Terms and Conditions

4.10.20 | Provider Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions. This HHS Memo details the specific terms and conditions with which provider relief recipients are required to comply.

4.08.20 | Authorizes Licensed Pharmacists to Conduct Tests for COVID-19. HHS announced that licensed pharmacists are now authorized to conduct COVID-19 tests and are now protected from liability under the PREP Act for administering the tests.

4.03.20 | OIG Policy Regarding Enforcement of Anti-Kickback Statutes. The HHS Office of Inspector General announced it will be relaxing enforcement of the Federal Anti-Kickback statutes in light of blanket waivers issued recently in response to the COVID-19 virus.

3.17.20 | Declaration of PREP Act Liability Protection. The HHS Secretary issued a declaration invoking the PREP Act which provides tort liability for covered persons (such as health care providers and facilities) administering COVID-19 treatments and those producing equipment for treatment and mitigation of the virus.

HRSA Resources

6.01.20 | 340B Program FAQ

4.27.20 | Uninsured Program Portal. Through HRSA, HHS has established a portal for health care providers to submit claims for reimbursement COVID-19 testing or treatment performed for uninsured individuals.

4.27.20 | Uninsured Program Portal. Announced through HRSA, HHS has established a portal for health care providers to submit claims for reimbursement COVID-19 testing or treatment performed for uninsured individuals.

5.08.20 | Link to Portal

4.17.20 | NPDB Waiver of Query Fees. HRSA NPDB has waived query fees for one-time and continuous queries retroactively to March 1, 2020 and through May 31, 2020. For queries already performed, fees are non-refundable, but credits for future queries may be obtained.

HIPAA Resources

4.22.20 | HHS Awards Nearly $165 Million to Rural Communities

4.09.20 | Guidance for Community Based Testing Centers. HHS OCR is exercising discretion to not enforce good faith noncompliance with HIPAA regulations in connection with participation in the operation of a community-based testing site for the COVID-19 virus.

4.02.20 | Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Disclosures under HIPAA. HHS OCR is exercising discretion to not impose potential penalties for violation of certain HIPAA provisions for “good faith” disclosures of HIPAA covered information for public health and health oversight activities.

3.28.20 | OCR Bulletin Regarding Discrimination. HHS OCR issued a bulletin reminding HIPAA covered entities that they cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, and religion.

March 2020 | Limited Waiver of HIPAA Sanctions and Penalties During a Nationwide Public Health Emergency. The HHS OCR relaxed the HIPAA disclosure rules to allow limited disclosures of HIPAA covered information to family of patients and to disaster relief agencies. Additionally, health care providers may disclose information as necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to public health and safety.

Telehealth Resources

5.08.20 | New CMS Medicare Coverage for Telehealth Services FAQ Video

4.30.20 | New CMS Waivers; Press Release. CMS has issued additional waivers including allowing pharmacists to perform COVID-19 tests, allowing hospitals to be paid if they see patients and collect samples for COVID-19 testing even if no other services are performed, increasing payments for telehealth services, and no longer reducing Medicare payments if a hospital increases the number of beds.

4.23.20 | State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit

3.30.20 | Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth Services. HHS OCR is exercising discretion to not impose potential penalties for HIPAA violations for good faith uses of any non-public facing audio or video communication products.

3.23.20 | Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19. This resource provides information on how various expenses related to COVID-19 can be covered under Medicare.

3.17.20 | Telehealth Coverage for COVID-19 Treatment. The resource explains how Medicare can be used to cover telehealth pursuant to the recent waivers.

3.06.20 | Telehealth Toolkit for Health Care Providers.

Internal Revenue Service Resources

7.14.20 | Extended Deadline for Community Health Needs Assessments. The IRS has extended the deadline for tax-exempt hospitals to conducting a community health needs assessment and adopting an implementation strategy to December 31, 2020.

Legislation

12.27.20 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

6.23.20 | New FAQ About Families First Coronavirus Response Act Implementation. The new FAQ gives further guidance for insurance coverage related to COVID-19 testing, including that testing in a work setting prior to employees returning to work does not have to be covered.

4.11.20 | FAQ About Families First Coronavirus Response Act Implementation. This resource gives guidance for group health plans and health insurance coverage for COVID-19 related testing.

3.30.20 | CARES Act. The sections of the CARES Act relating to health care are in Title III beginning on page 80. 

3.18.20 | Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The health care provisions in the Act are in Division F beginning on page 25. 

3.06.20 | Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. Division A of the Act contains provisions funding federal agencies such as the CDC and FDA and Division B contains provisions for telehealth services.

Federal Orders and Rulings

3.20.20 | FCC Declaratory Ruling Regarding Text Messaging. The FCC issued a declaratory ruling authorizing hospitals, health care providers, state and local health officials, as well as government officials and those acting on behalf of the foregoing to place automated calls and text messages for health and safety reasons.