Month: June 2020

Webinar Series: The Path Forward: Reimagining Primary Care During and Beyond the Pandemic

First Session: Thursday, June 25, 2020, 2:00 – 3:15 PM Central

Register HERE.

As the nation struggles with the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism, the moment upon us to deeply examine and reshape the primary care delivery system for underserved communities. Community Health Center, Inc. and its Weitzman Institute have begun to address the challenge of creating a new system of care for those historically disenfranchised due to race, ethnicity, gender, orientation and poverty, among other factors limiting access and equity.

Join us as we introduce a series of free, interactive webinars: The Path Forward.

On June 25, leadership of the Community Health Center, Inc. and the Weitzman Institute will lay out a road map for the new Path Forward. This is followed in July by two webinars: one on how to manage and improve your operations during the COVID-19 crisis, and a second on laying the foundation of a new health care delivery system. Joining us in these discussions will be nationally known experts.

We invite health center and safety net providers, staff, consumer leaders and others to join the conversation and contribute their expertise, perspective and ideas.

All of the webinars will be free. For the June 25th kickoff click the registration link below.

Podcast: Managing from the Middle: Leading Through Change

New podcast series developed by Rural Health Resource Center.

Through our work with rural hospitals, a need has emerged for education directed towards mid-level managers (MLMs) on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of value-based care and population health, as well as tools and strategies to help MLMs lead others in this time of change. With the support of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, this six-part podcast series was developed by the Small Rural Hospital Transition Project.

Click HERE to view more information and to view the first episode.

Medicare Coverage of COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Home Residents and Patients

June 19, 2020

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has instructed Medicare Administrative Contactors and notified Medicare Advantage plans to cover coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) laboratory tests for nursing home residents and patients. This instruction follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent update of COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing homes that provides recommendations for testing of nursing home residents and patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 as well as for asymptomatic residents and patients who have been exposed to COVID like in an outbreak. Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans will cover COVID-19 lab tests consistent with CDC guidance.

Medicare Advantage plans must continue not to charge cost sharing (including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance) or apply prior authorization or other utilization management requirements for COVID-19 tests and testing-related services.

Read the Medicare Learning Network article: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/se20011.pdf.

Read the memo to Medicare Advantage plans: https://cms.gov/files/document/hpms-memo-diagnostic-testing-nursing-home-residents-and-patients-coronavirus-disease-2019.pdf. 

More information about Medicare coverage of COVID-19 tests is available at: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-tests. 

MU ECHO Addressing Rapid Changes in Telemedicine

The Missouri Telehealth Network (MTN) at the University of Missouri and Heartland Telehealth Resource Center are offering a Telemedicine ECHO for providers in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. The ECHO offers interactive online learning sessions every Tuesday from 9 to 10 a.m. The sessions address recent changes in such areas as reimbursement, operations, regulations, best practices, telebehavioral health and more.

Providers with rural health centers, federally qualified health centers and critical access hospitals are especially encouraged to participate. The Telemedicine ECHO is part of MTN’s comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes a COVID-19 ECHO, telehealth guides and a variety of additional COVID-19 resources. Register for these services and learn more at https://showmeecho.org/.

Webinar: The Dental Care Rebound—What the Data for the Week of June 15th Tell Us

Date: June 23, 2020

10:00 AM Central

Register

HPI continues to collect and analyze data on the dental sector recovery as part of our polling on the economic impact of COVID-19.  Join HPI’s Chief Economist Marko Vujicic to learn what new data from the week of June 15 tell us about the dental care rebound and be the first to see HPI’s not-yet-released updated projections for dental spending.

Topics that will be covered during the webinar include:

  • Whether patient volume is plateauing
  • How employee dentists are faring compared to owners
  • Updated projections for U.S. dental spending in 2020 and 2021
  • Collections volumes
  • Pay status of staff
  • PPE availability

This webinar will include a Q&A segment.

Can’t make it? No worries. Register anyway, and you’ll be notified when the recording is available.