Latest Insights
Summary of Key Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
Click here to download a PDF of this memo. On March 11, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief and economic......
Summary of Health Provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (2021 Omnibus), including COVID-19 Relief/Stimulus
On December 21, 2020, Congress voted to pass a nearly $1.4 trillion “omnibus” spending package to fund the federal government through the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, which includes......
COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Omnibus Update: Apply Today to Help Protect Your Small Business or Nonprofit
On April 3, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) began accepting loan applications from lenders under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), originally enacted in the CARES Act last March. Congress......
Expanded Payment for Patient Management and Remote Physiological Monitoring: New Opportunities for Assisted Living Facilities
By Diane Millman and Rebecca Burke Executive Summary. Over the past several years, expansions in coverage of non-face-to-face services (especially various types of care management and remote physiological monitoring services(RPM)),......
CMS Releases COVID-19 Data Reporting Requirements for Hospitals
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued Conditions of Participation requiring the reporting of COVID-19 related information by hospitals and critical access hospitals for tracking the incidence......
ALERT: CMS Updates FAQ Guidance to allow Hospital Billing of Clinic Visit Code G0463 in Connection with Remote Visits During COVID-19
On Tuesday, July 28, CMS updated the COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing to provide guidance on billing HCPCS code G0463 when a physician is providing......
Powers Principal Brian Gunn Discusses Impact of HEALS Act on Tribes in Law360
Powers Principal Brian Gunn was recently quoted in a Law360 article on the new coronavirus relief bill that was introduced by Senate Republicans, called the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection......
Latest Turn in Hospital Billing of Clinic Visit Code G0463 in Connection with Telehealth Visits During COVID-19
Click here for a PDF version of this memo. On Tuesday, July 21, in a CMS “Office Hours” COVID-19 call, CMS provided the latest guidance on billing HCPCS code G0463......
HHS Announces Over $4 Billion in Additional Relief Payments to Healthcare Providers Impacted by Coronavirus
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced approximately $3 billion in funding to hospitals serving a large percentage of vulnerable populations on thin margins and approximately......
COVID-19 Guidance for Postsecondary Institutions – UPDATE: June 22, 2020
This updated article provides links to, and briefly summarizes, legislation and federal agency guidance designed to ease the burden of the coronavirus pandemic on higher education institutions....
Paycheck Protection Program Update
Click here to download a PDF of this article. On June 5, 2020, President Trump signed into law H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, to assist......
Medicare Telehealth Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Rebecca Burke, Esq. and Megan La Suer, Esq Current as of June 1, 2020 Click here to download a PDF of this article. Over the last several weeks, Powers......
COVID-19 Guidance for Postsecondary Institutions – UPDATE: May 22, 2020
This article has been revised to include additional and updated guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. Please click here to view the most recent version. This updated article provides......
Diagnostic Services in the era of COVID-19: The New Landscape
While the impact of the COVID pandemic on elective surgery has received significant attention from the lay media, the impact of the crisis on diagnostic imaging and diagnostic testing—although likely......
Hospital Billing of Telehealth Visits During COVID-19 Pandemic
Updated May 12, 2020 In an Interim Final Rule published on March 31, CMS authorized physicians to bill for telehealth visits as if they were office visits in response to......
Skilled Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities Face New Transparency Requirements in the Age of COVID
Designing a Coherent Policy Consistent with Resident Privacy Rights and New Federal and State Requirements As the COVID-19 crisis has unfolded, Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs)......
CMS Interim Final Rule on COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Waivers
Click here to download a PDF of this article. On April 30, 2020, CMS issued a display copy of an Interim Final Rule (IFR) to clarify certain policies and make......
Powers to Host Webinar on Indian Tribal Telehealth Opportunities
Powers attorneys from the Indian tribal governments and health care groups will host a free webinar next week on Indian tribal telehealth opportunities, including recent opportunities presented by the CARES......
Resources on Coronavirus and EEO Laws Applicable to People with Disabilities
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have compiled relevant information for employers......
Provider Program for Uninsured Reimbursement Begins
On April 27, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) opened the COVID-19 Uninsured Program Portal, where providers can sign up for reimbursement for testing and treating uninsured patients......
Summary of Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
To stay up to date on the latest news and insights from the Powers Law Firm, please visit our COVID-19 resource page here. Click here to download a PDF of......
HHS Opens CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal
As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has announced $30 billion in immediate relief funding to providers......
CMS “Office Hours” on COVID-19 — April 14, 2020
On April 14, 2020, CMS held another call in a series of “Office Hours” on COVID-19 payment questions. CMS Office Hours provides an opportunity for providers on the frontline to......
CMS Fields Questions on Post-Acute Care, Rural Health, and COVID-19 Specimen Collection
On April 9, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focused part of its “Office Hours on COVID 19” on answering providers’ questions on a wide range of......
CMS Provides Answers on Coding and Payment for Telehealth Services in the Era of COVID-19
On April 9, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focused part of its “Office Hours on COVID 19” on answering providers’ questions on coding and payment challenges......
Summary of ED’s Updated and Consolidated COVID-19 Guidance
This article has been revised to include additional and updated guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. Please click here to view the most recent version. This updated article provides......
COVID-19: Federal Legislative Response Overview
As of early April 2020, the United States Congress has passed three major pieces of legislation to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and bolster the American economy. Together, these......
Webinar on Telehealth and COVID-19
Powers attorneys Bill von Oehsen, Barbara Straub Williams, Peggy Tighe and Rebecca Burke hosted a webinar on telehealth issues, with a focus on recent changes as the result of the......
COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Summary: Apply Today to Help Protect Your Small Business or Nonprofit
As of Friday, April 3, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is accepting loan applications from lenders under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), enacted March 27th. APPLY TODAY (or as......
Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program: What Providers/Suppliers Need to Know During COVID-19
To support providers and suppliers during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a nationwide expansion of the Medicare Accelerated and Advance......
Overview of CMS Stark Waivers
On Monday March 30, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published blanket waivers to some of the Stark law requirements. The waivers are detailed and provide many examples......
Summary of Economic Provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Congress and the Trump Administration have taken several key steps to address the expanding public health crisis caused by the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, while at the same time......
Summary of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Congress and the Trump Administration have taken several key steps to address the expanding public health crisis caused by the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, while at the same time......
Summary of Higher Education Provisions in the $2 Trillion Federal Economic Relief Package Known as the CARES Act
The Powers education group released a memorandum today summarizing the higher education provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed on Friday, March 27. The memorandum......
Powers Update Regarding COVID-19 Guidance for Postsecondary Institutions
This article has been revised to include additional and updated guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. Please click here to view the most recent version. The spread of the......
Legislative Memorandum on Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The Powers legislative practice released a memorandum today summarizing the second emergency bill pass to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19), known as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Click here......
Navigating Event Cancellations and Workplace Challenges Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak
As the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues, nonprofit organizations are facing a number of difficult decisions regarding their upcoming conferences and events and their workplace policies. In most......
Legislative Memorandum on the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Act
The Powers legislative practice group released a memorandum today that summarizes the emergency spending bill enacted by the Trump Administration to combat the coronavirus, as well as the series of......
Medicare Expands Coverage of Telehealth Services During Public Health Emergency; HIPAA Waiver Allows Use of Telephone Video Chat Apps
In guidance released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on March 17, 2020, the Administration greatly expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth services to cope with the national public health emergency posed by COVID-19 describing broadened access to telehealth services under Medicare. This guidance and an accompanying set of FAQs implements legislation enacted on March 6, 2020 which, among other things, gave the Secretary of HHS discretion to waive statutory rural and site of service coverage restrictions on services provided via telehealth....
$2 Million SBA Disaster Loans Available for Businesses and Non-Profits Impacted by COVID-19
The emergency supplemental appropriations bill enacted on March 6 deemed the coronavirus a “disaster” such that amounts included in the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Disaster Assistance Loan Program, supported by $1 billion in loan subsidies, may now be utilized by small businesses and private non-profit organizations to obtain loans to cover financial losses incurred as a result of the ongoing emergency. Information on how SBA will implement this provision and grant loans of up to $2 million is provided here....
Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville Response to Coronavirus
Powers is monitoring the situation involving the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). As our firm navigates this complicated challenge and remains open for business, we are taking measures to......
Coronavirus National Emergency
On Friday, the President declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act. This declaration allows the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Azar to waive certain requirements of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance programs and of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule throughout the duration of this emergency under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act....
External Resources
- CDC COVID-19 Site
- CDC Guidance on ICD-10 Coding
- Center for Connected Health Policy COVID-19 Site
- CMS Covid-19 Emergency Site (Includes links to pages on various topics, including Medicare and Medicaid payment for telehealth)
- DEA Covid-19 Information Page
- FDA Resource page on COVID-19
- HHS OCR Telehealth and HIPAA FAQs
- HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) HIPAA Enforcement Discretion
- HHS Office of Inspector General Policy Statement on Waiver of Telehealth Cost-Sharing
- HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care Coronavirus FAQs
- HRSA Grantee COVID-19 FAQs
- HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau – FAQs on COVID-19
- HRSA OPA COVID-19 Resources
- SBA Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program