04/23/2021

Today's COVID-19 Report: Monday, April 26

Monday, April 26, 2021

Here are the latest need-to-know updates for Monday, April 26 regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and other topics of importance.

REMINDER TO ALL MEMBERS

LeadingAge Ohio releases weekly Affordable Housing newsletters on Mondays and Home Health and Hospice newsletters on Tuesdays. Please email info@leadingageohio.org to receive either/both publications.

In Today's Report

All-member Q&A webinar: TOMORROW at 11:30AM, provider and employer vaccination clinics & biennium budget update
FCC announces round 2 COVID-19 Telehealth Program application window
Medicare Part A Cost Report webinar: April 29
Updated nursing facility PA/LOC request form
LeadingAge Ohio associate member Rolf provides sample visitation policy
Palmetto GAB hospice coalition request for questions

All-member Q&A webinar: TOMORROW at 11:30AM, provider and employer vaccination clinics & biennium budget update

LeadingAge Ohio will hold an all-member Q&A call tomorrow at 11:30AM. Members can register in advance and should send all questions for the call to COVID19@leadingageohio.org. The call will also allow participants to ‘chat’ questions.

In addition to a LeadingAge Ohio staff update on the state’s biennium budget process, Director of Strategic Partnerships Emma Cardone of the Ohio Governor’s Office will join the call to explain the use of closed Points of Dispensing (POD) and how this emergency preparedness program can be utilized by LeadingAge Ohio members and the community at large. On April 9, 2021, the Governor’s office announced that beginning April 12, 2021, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) will allow enrolled providers to vaccinate their own employees and to use vaccine to support employer or organization vaccine programs.

Health care organizations that function as closed PODs may provide medication to their staff, family, patients, and residents. Doing so may help ensure that their workforce can continue operations during a public health emergency and reduce the population at open PODs.

ODH provided the additional guidance for Ohio employers and vaccine providers regarding closed pod vaccination clinics. The CDC provides additional guidance on the Health Care Closed Points of Dispensing webpage.

FCC announces round 2 COVID-19 Telehealth Program application window

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin accepting applications for Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program on Thursday, April 29 at 12:00PM through Thursday, May 6 at 12:00PM.

The program allows eligible health care providers to be reimbursed for providing telecommunications services, information services and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the pandemic. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, enacted in December 2020, allocated $249 million for the program on top of the initial $200 million that was established as part of the CARES Act. Eligible health care providers of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program include sites that treat patients. Eligibility is limited to select nonprofit and public eligible health care providers, which includes skilled nursing facilities.

Please click here to register for the upcoming FCC webinars, “COVID-19 Telehealth Eligibility Overview,” to be held on Monday, April 26 at 2:00PM, and Wednesday, April 28 at 1:00PM

To learn more about the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program application process, visit the FCC's website.

Medicare Part A Cost Report webinar: April 29

Medicare Part A providers can learn about the new user-friendly upload feature for the Medicare Cost Report e-Filing (MCReF) system during a webinar on Thursday, April 29 from 1 - 2:30PM. To register for the Medicare Learning Network webcast, please click here.

The new feature allows providers to:

Submit documents without turning them into ZIP files
Tag documents
Get alerts about missing documents

Also during this webcast:

Get an overview of the system
Attend a Q&A session

Use MCReF to:

Submit cost reports (individually or in bulk) for fiscal years ending on or after December 31, 2017.
Track the status of cost reports with fiscal years ending after December 31, 2009.
Electronically transmit through MCReF, mail, or hand deliver cost reports to a Medicare Administrative Contractor. Providers must use MCReF if choosing to submit electronically.

Questions may be sent to OFMDPAOQuestions@cms.hhs.gov with “MCReF Webcast” in the subject line. Questions will be answered during the webcast or used to develop educational materials.

Updated nursing facility PA/LOC request form

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) has asked LeadingAge Ohio to share that an updated nursing facility PA/LOC form has been posted to their website due to a plan fax number changing.

LeadingAge Ohio associate member Rolf provides sample visitation policy

As nursing facilities continue to open their doors to more visitors, it is essential to be vigilant and follow applicable guidance for visitors. As part of risk management process, nursing facilities should implement a policy incorporating best practices and detailing infection control protocols for visitation. LeadingAge Ohio associate firm Rolf Goffman Martin Lang’s EVOLVE Legal Solutions has developed a sample COVID-19 Visitation policy that incorporates updated CMS guidance and that can be used as a baseline to assist SNFs in establishing their own visitation procedures.

As noted in the March 23 LeadingAge Ohio COVID-19 Report, nursing facilities may also want to consider eConfirm HC to assist with various items addressed in the policy, such as scheduling, screening, and no contact check-ins.

To access the COVID-19 Visitation policy visit EVOLVE’s COVID-19 Visitation Hub.

Palmetto GAB hospice coalition request for questions

The Hospice Coalition will be meeting virtually with Palmetto representatives in June. Please send any questions you might have for Palmetto to Jeff Lycan at Jlycan@NHCooperative.org. Please submit questions by close of business on Tuesday, May 4.

LeadingAge Need to Know

LeadingAge shares the latest coronavirus news and resources with members twice each weekday. This morning's Need to Know featured information on member solutions savings and a new CAST case study.

Check out the full report here.