The CDC has introduced six ICD-10-CM codes to better capture the disease process of COVID-19, available January 1, 2021, for reporting purposes. Read on for an overview of the new codes, as well as previous COVID-19 coding changes, to help your organization safeguard reimbursement and compliance.
Click to view the Healthcare Alert from BKD.
With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning in the United States, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has put forth important materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding information about vaccine training, safety, administering the vaccine, storage and handling, patient education, and frequently asked questions. Access these resources below.
COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
Access these additional CDC materials about the vaccine recommendation process, vaccine safety, and the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program:
Medicaid is a safety net insurance program that allows Missourians to see a doctor when they are sick, get checkups, buy medications, and go to the hospital. Having health insurance allows people to maintain their health, go to work, and take care of their families. The Medicaid program, however, is intricate, with many different pieces and rules that can be tough to navigate.
This complexity is exactly why MFH releases an annual publication, Missouri Medicaid Basics, that unpacks the various moving parts of the program.
December 14, 2020
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With the support of the Health Resources Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), the National Rural Health Resource Center provides selected small rural hospitals and rural health clinics technical assistance through the Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP). This project is designed to help strengthen their foundation in key elements of value-based care (VBC) including but not limited to efficiency, quality, patient experience, and safety of care.
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The Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project (RHPTP) is designed to help strengthen value-based care (VBC) for health care organizations by building recipients’ foundation for VBC in efficiency, quality, patient experience, and safety of care.
RHPTP’s goal is to guide small rural hospitals (SRH) and rural health clinics (RHC) not currently participating in VBC to prepare for and position their organizations for future participation in alternative payment and care delivery models (APM).
Eligible Small Rural Hospitals is defined as a non-federal, short-term general acute care hospital that: (i) is located in a rural area as defined in 42 U.S.C 1395ww(d) and (ii) has 49 available beds or less, as reported on the hospital’s most recently filed Medicare Cost Report.
SRH and RHC are encouraged to apply under a single application for TA.
View more eligibility and application information here.
December 10, 2020
CDC Recommendation for Allocating COVID-19 Vaccine. In its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide guidance for federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
HRSA Funds Additional RHCs to Expand COVID-19 Testing. On December 7, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) disbursed $9.3 million to support COVID-19 testing at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). HRSA used updated data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to identify 188 previously unsupported RHCs and calculate more than $49,000 per site for the December 2020 payment. The terms and conditions for recipients of this round of funding remain the same as those for RHCs previously funded in May 2020. Recently posted Frequently Asked Questions about the program provide more details.
GAO: Urgent Actions Needed for Federal Response to Pandemic. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and reports to Congress with information to help the government work more efficiently. In a report released last week, the GAO listed a number of findings about challenges across the nation and made 11 specific recommendations for improving the federal response.
HHS National Plan to Improve Maternal Health. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced an action plan with three specific targets: 1) reduce maternal mortality in the U.S. by 50 percent, 2) reduce low-risk cesarean deliveries by 25 percent, and 3) achieve blood pressure control in 80 percent of women of reproductive age with hypertension. In its announcement HHS highlighted recent maternal health activities, including winners of a competition launched earlier this year by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Cross-Sectional Innovation to Improve Rural Postpartum Mental Health Challenge.
GHPC Report: Promoting Access to Maternal Care for Women with SUD in Rural Communities. The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) reviews the challenges in rural areas to caring for women with mental health challenges and substance use disorder (SUD). Among the state- and federal-level innovations currently improving access to care is the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program initiated last year.
HHS Request for Information: Novel Technologies for Chronic Disease Management in Aging Underserved Populations – December 22. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) seeks innovative technology solutions to chronic disease management for aging populations in underserved areas.
Slides and an audio recording of the introductory webinar for the Geographic Direct Contracting Model are now available. The slides and audio recording can be found on the model webpage, under “Events.”
The Geographic Direct Contracting Model (also known as “Geo”) is a new payment and care delivery model being tested by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Innovation Center. The Model will test whether a geographic-based approach to care delivery and value-based care can improve health and reduce costs for Medicare beneficiaries across an entire geographic region.
For more information, you can contact the model team at DCGEO@cms.hhs.gov.
December 9, 2020
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December 9, 2020
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NRHA is currently seeking session proposals and original research for presentation at the association’s Health Equity Conference, which is scheduled for May 4 in New Orleans.
This event highlights research and best practices impacting the most underserved and underrepresented rural populations.
Session proposals are due by the extended deadline of Dec. 10, and research posters are due Feb. 11
