Month: May 2020

CMS Shares Early Insights from the Accountable Health Communities Model

May 18, 2020

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is excited to release a brief on “Partnering for Impact: Early Insights from the Accountable Health Communities Model.” The Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model assesses whether bridging the gap between clinical care and social services can reduce health care utilization and costs for high risk Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. In November 2019, CMS convened 29 bridge organizations participating in the AHC Model and key partners for the second annual AHC meeting to brainstorm and share promising strategies to address beneficiaries’ health-related social needs. Learn more about their insights in the brief “Partnering for Impact: Early Insights from the Accountable Health Communities Model.”

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has sent this update. To contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) go to our contact us page.

 

CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – Week of May 18, 2020

CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare 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.

Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and professional networks. These calls are not intended for the press.

Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page at: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/PodcastAndTranscripts

  • CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Eastern)

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 healthcare systems to:

    • Increase Hospital Capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls;
    • Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce;
    • Put Patients Over Paperwork; and
    • Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare

This week’s Office Hours:

    • Tuesday, May 19th at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Eastern

Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820;

Access Passcode: 1908409

Audio Webcast link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=09fc7f83-55a866ff-09fc4ebc-0cc47adc5fa2-ada45e7b8400e93b&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=073fc33b-5b6bda47-073ff204-0cc47adc5fa2-806686646b270a86&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=1e549051-4200892d-1e54a16e-0cc47adc5fa2-63541640698195d2&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2006

    • Thursday, May 21st at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Eastern

Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820;

Access Passcode: 9984433

Audio Webcast link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=cb805d64-97d44418-cb806c5b-0cc47adc5fa2-827790b4a094996f&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=6c83cf89-30d7d6f5-6c83feb6-0cc47adc5fa2-86a4364857e7d293&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=4769142b-1b3c1d38-47692514-0cc47adb5650-8175472158c1c1e5&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2144

  • Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19 (Fridays at 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern)

Lessons from the Front Lines calls are a joint effort between CMS Administrator Seema Verma, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, and the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Physicians and other clinicians are invited to share their experience, ideas, strategies, and insights with one another related to their COVID-19 response. There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters.

This week’s Lessons from the Front Lines:

    • Friday, May 22nd at 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 877-251-0301;

Access Code: 6086125

Web Link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=dd1535f7-81412c8b-dd1504c8-0cc47adc5fa2-7c66b3f431ce34d4&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=549289e3-08c6909f-5492b8dc-0cc47adc5fa2-64ce810eb68fcff4&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=b92189e9-e57480fa-b921b8d6-0cc47adb5650-efec10ba75e45c4c&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2051

  • Weekly COVID-19 Care Site-Specific Calls

CMS hosts weekly calls for certain types of organizations to provide targeted updates on the agency’s latest COVID-19 guidance. One to two leaders in the field also share best practices with their peers. There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters if time allows.

    • Home Health and Hospice (Tuesdays at 3:00 PM Eastern)

Tuesday, May 19th at 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820;

Access Passcode: 6477704

Audio Webcast Link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=69f09acf-35a483b3-69f0abf0-0cc47adc5fa2-2522b409f1eaeacb&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=c1e07765-9db46e19-c1e0465a-0cc47adc5fa2-9d4759407d350a40&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=e24032d4-be141bff-e24003eb-0cc47a6d17cc-a5eafb495b2e4808&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=1903

    • Nursing Homes (Wednesdays at 4:30 PM Eastern)

Wednesday, May 20th at 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Eastern

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820;

Access Passcode: 4879622

Audio Webcast Link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=2a7f0a85-762b13f9-2a7f3bba-0cc47adc5fa2-599d400ef3036f09&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=c6deb2d8-9a8aaba4-c6de83e7-0cc47adc5fa2-693c6d0fb64c2fd8&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=41325d76-1d6754a6-41326c49-0cc47a6a52de-645af6aadf95cd26&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2029

    • Dialysis Organizations (Wednesdays at 5:30 PM Eastern)

Wednesday, May 20th at 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Eastern

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820;

Access Passcode: 3287645

Audio Webcast Link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=46c54d71-1a91540d-46c57c4e-0cc47adc5fa2-5082d19ead3631f4&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=458afcf9-19dee585-458acdc6-0cc47adc5fa2-060b7a2cf233781c&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=4ff272bc-13a66bc0-4ff24383-0cc47adc5fa2-548f7ed5170f18ba&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2117

    • Nurses (Thursdays at 3:00 PM Eastern)

Thursday, May 21st at 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820;

Access Passcode: 2874976

Audio Webcast Link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=f2f94fee-aead5692-f2f97ed1-0cc47adc5fa2-fcf785ba46305cb4&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=cb895ecb-97dd47b7-cb896ff4-0cc47adc5fa2-4ffe1822c181f255&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=9e7d0483-c2280d53-9e7d35bc-0cc47a6a52de-da03add85c165992&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2133

To keep up with the important work the White House Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here: http://www.coronavirus.gov/. For information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Daily Digest Bulletin

May 15, 2020

Nursing Home Reporting Requirement

On April 19, 2020, CMS announced we’ll be requiring facilities to report COVID-19 information to the CDC and to families. Within three weeks of that announcement, we published an Interim Final Rule With Comment on April 30, 2020. For the first time, all 15,000 nursing homes will be reporting this data directly to the CDC through its reporting tool. With the new regulatory requirements, nursing homes are required to report the first week of data to the CDC beginning May 8, 2020 but no later than May 17, 2020. Additionally, in order to report, facilities must enroll in the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Information on how to enroll is available here. As nursing homes report this data to the CDC, we will be taking swift action and publicly posting this information so all Americans have access to accurate and timely information on COVID-19 in nursing homes. More information on the COVID-19 NHSN module can be found here.

CMS has a longstanding requirement for nursing homes to report cases of communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, to the appropriate state or local health department. This new requirement not only helps health departments intervene when needed, but serves to provide awareness to the public (e.g., families), and surveillance for public health agencies and the CDC. The importance of ongoing transparency and information sharing has proven to be one of the keys to the battle against this pandemic. Building upon the successes of this Administration prior to COVID-19, CMS has strongly supported transparency, such as the work done over the past several years to improve public access and understanding of nursing home inspection reports and expand the information available to consumers on Nursing Home Compare. The agency remains committed to greater transparency, and plans to publicly release the new data by the end of May.  CMS will never stop working to give patients, residents, and families the clearest and most accurate information possible.

 

 

CMS News Alert

May 15, 2020

As part of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts taken in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), following is a summary of recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) actions. To keep up with the important Task Force work being done in response to COVID-19, click here www.coronavirus.gov. For information specific to CMS, please visit the CMS News Room and Current Emergencies Website.  CMS updates these resources on an ongoing basis throughout the day; the information below is current as of May 15, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. ET. 

  • Deadline Approaching: Notification Requirements of Confirmed and Suspected COVID-19 Cases Among Nursing Home Residents and Staff

On April 19, CMS announced the agency will be requiring facilities to report COVID-19 information to the CDC and to families. Within three weeks of that announcement, on April 30, CMS issued an Interim Final Rule with Comment Period with new regulatory requirements. With the new regulatory requirements, nursing homes are required to report the first week of data to the CDC beginning May 8 but no later than May 17. For the first time, all 15,000 nursing homes will be reporting this data directly to the CDC through its reporting tool.

In order to report, facilities must enroll in the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Information on how to enroll is available here. As nursing homes report this data to the CDC, CMS will be taking swift action and publicly posting this information so all Americans have access to accurate and timely information on COVID-19 in nursing homes. More information on the CDC’s NHSN COVID-19 module can be found here.

  • CMS Releases Nursing Home Toolkit with Best Practices and Additional Resources

CMS released a new toolkit developed to aid nursing homes, Governors, states, departments of health, and other agencies who provide oversight and assistance to these facilities.  These additional resources will help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic within nursing homes. The toolkit builds on previous actions taken by CMS, which provide a wide range of tools and guidance to states, healthcare providers and others during the public health emergency. The toolkit is comprised of best practices from a variety of front line health care providers, Governors’ COVID-19 task forces, associations and other organizations, and experts, and is intended to serve as a catalogue of resources dedicated to addressing the specific challenges facing nursing homes as they combat COVID-19.

Press Release

Toolkit

  • Trump Administration Announces Call for Nominations for Nursing Home Commission

CMS announced a call for nominations for the new contractor-led Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. The commission’s work will build on the Trump Administration’s long history of decisive actions to protect nursing home residents. The commission will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the overall response to the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes and will inform immediate and future actions to safeguard the health and quality of life for an especially vulnerable population of Americans.

Press Release

Nursing Home Commission Nominations

  • CMS Outlines Medicaid Managed Care Options in Responding to COVID-19

CMS released a new Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Informational Bulletin (CIB) that provides states guidance on how to temporarily modify their Medicaid managed care contracts to address the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The guidance provides several options that states can consider to adjust provider payment methodologies and capitation rates within Medicaid managed care contracts while preserving systems of care and access to services for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Informational Bulletin

  • CMS Gives States Additional Flexibility to Address Coronavirus Pandemic

CMS has approved over 190 requests for state relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including recent approvals for California, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, and Rhode Island. These approvals help to ensure that states have the tools they need to combat COVID-19. This is done through a wide variety of waivers, amendments, and Medicaid state plan flexibilities, including support for programs that care for the elderly and people with disabilities. CMS also developed a toolkit to expedite the application and review of each request and has approved these requests in record time. These approved flexibilities support President Trump’s commitment to a COVID-19 response that is locally executed, state managed, and federally supported.

    1. Section 1135 Waivers
    2. Section 1115(a) Waivers
    3. 1915(c) Waiver Appendix K Amendments
    4. Medicaid State Plan Amendments
    5. CHIP State Plan Amendments

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Contact: CMS Media Relations
CMS Media Inquiries

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