- USDA and EPA Strengthen Partnership to Improve Access to Modern and Affordable Wastewater Infrastructure for People in Rural America
- 'I Went Into Medicine to Help My Community': Nez Perce Doctor Speaks on Rural Health Care and Building a Future for the Next Generation
- Using Virtual Care Tech to Curb Care Barriers in Rural South Carolina
- Research and Analysis: Rural Internet Subscribers Pay More, New Data Confirms
- Focus on Fellows: Checking in with Three Rural Leaders
- In Texas' Panhandle, a Long-Awaited Oasis for Mental Health Care Is Springing Up
- A Reason to Care: How Students Choose Rural Health
- A Prescription for Better Rural Nutrition
- City-Based Scientists Get Creative to Tackle Rural-Research Needs
- Public Payment of Dialysis Treatment Has Changed the Rural Healthcare Marketplace
- How the Bad River Tribe Flipped the Script on the Native American Opioid Crisis
- Reps. Sewell, Miller Introduce the Bipartisan Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals (ARCH) Act on National Rural Health Day
- Western Alaska Salmon Crisis Affects Physical and Mental Health, Residents Say
- How Telehealth Is Bringing Specialist Care to the North Country
- Could a Solution to Provide Legal Care in Alaska Work in Rural Minnesota?
House Appropriations Committee ‘Pumps the Breaks’
The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) will likely pursue a less ambitious timeline than previously hinted to pass the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bills before the September 30th deadline. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had outlined a plan to complete bill markups by the end of June, and Politico is reporting, “That timeline has slipped as top Democrats raced to draft this month’s $3 trillion coronavirus relief package, which passed on May 15. And now leaders of the House Appropriations Committee say they won’t move to marking up its bills until Congress can agree on another massive infusion of federal coronavirus relief, which may be weeks down the line.” Thus far, no appropriations bills have been released or considered by committees.
CMS Update: COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing
On May 27, 2020, CMS issued updated FAQs. Among other topics, CMS noted that the RHC productivity limits may be waived during the COVID period at the discretion of the MACs (page 31). Based on this FAQ, if an RHC expects to have difficulty meeting the productivity guideline because of COVID, they should proactively consult with their MAC.
Another FAQ notes the treatment of telehealth costs on the cost reports (page 32). This FAQ response is consistent with current cost reporting instructions – as non-reimbursable costs excluded from the all-inclusive rate calculation. Other RHC FAQs are on pages 31-33.
The FAQs are attached and available at the following link.
The FAQs in this document supplement the previously released FAQs: 1135 Waiver FAQs, available at https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/Downloads/MedicareFFS-EmergencyQsAs1135Waiver.pdf.