CMS expands financial relief for Medicare providers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an expansion of its accelerated and advance payment program for Medicare participating healthcare providers and suppliers, to ensure they have the resources needed to combat the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
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This program expansion, which includes changes from the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is one way that CMS is working to lessen the financial hardships of providers facing extraordinary challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensures the nation’s providers can focus on patient care. There has been significant disruption to the healthcare industry, with providers being asked to delay non-essential surgeries and procedures, other healthcare staff unable to work due to childcare demands, and disruption to billing, among the challenges related to the pandemic.
“With our nation’s healthcare providers on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19, dollars and cents shouldn’t be adding to their worries,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Unfortunately, the major disruptions to the healthcare system caused by COVID-19 are a significant financial burden on providers. This action will ensure that they have the resources they need to maintain their all-important focus on patient care during the pandemic.”
Medicare provides coverage for 37.4 million beneficiaries in its Fee for Service (FFS) program, and made $414.7 billion in direct payments to providers during 2019. This effort is part of the Trump Administration’s White House Coronavirus Task Force effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 through a whole-of-America approach, with a focus on strengthening and leveraging public-private relationships.
Accelerated and advance Medicare payments provide emergency funding and addresses cash flow issues based on historical payments when there is disruption in claims submission and/or claims processing. These expedited payments are typically offered in natural disasters to accelerate cash flow to the impacted health care providers and suppliers. In this situation, CMS is expanding the program for all Medicare providers throughout the country during the public health emergency related to COVID-19. The payments can be requested by hospitals, doctors, durable medical equipment suppliers and other Medicare Part A and Part B providers and suppliers.
To qualify for accelerated or advance payments, the provider or supplier must:
· Have billed Medicare for claims within 180 days immediately prior to the date of signature on the provider’s/ supplier’s request form,
· Not be in bankruptcy,
· Not be under active medical review or program integrity investigation, and
· Not have any outstanding delinquent Medicare overpayments.
· Medicare will start accepting and processing the Accelerated/Advance Payment Requests immediately. CMS anticipates that the payments will be issued within seven days of the provider’s request.
