CMS Posted Their Updated PHE Fact Sheet on February 27th

March o2, 2023

With the Public Health Emergency (PHE) expiring on May 11, 2023, CMS updated their CMS PHE Fact Sheet on February 27, 2023.

This fact sheet covers the following:

• COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments;
• Telehealth services;
• Health Care Access: Continuing flexibilities for health care professionals; and
• Inpatient Hospital Care at Home: Expanded hospital capacity by providing inpatient care in a patient’s home.

Telehealth flexibilities that have been extended through December 31, 2024 for Medicare beneficiaries, include:

• Access to telehealth in any geographic area in the United States (not just rural areas)
• Telehealth visit can be conducted in the patient’s home vs. going to a healthcare facility
• Some telehealth visits can be delivered audio-only (via telephone without video) when a patient can’t access, for example, a smartphone or computer

Telehealth for non-Part B Beneficiary:

• Medicare Advantage patients should check their Plan coverage for telehealth services
• Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may offer additional telehealth coverage where a PCP can see a patient without an in-person visit, after December 31, 2024
• Medicaid/CHIP – telehealth coverage will vary by state and is not tied to the end of the PHE
• Private Insurance – coverage will vary by Plan

COVID-19 Waivers and Administrative Flexibilities and provider-specific fact sheets can be accessed at: https://www.cms.gov/coronavirus-waivers

• Standard Blanket Waivers for Disaster Responses will end at the end of the PHE (May 11, 2023)
• Inpatient care in an individual’s home through the Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative has been extended through December 31, 2024
• All Nursing Aide Training waivers will end at the end of the PHE; Nursing Homes will have until September 10, 2023 to ensure all nurse aides have completed state-approved NATCEP/CEP
• Virtual Supervision will expire December 31, 2023
  • Expiring – Temporary change to “Direct supervision” definition which allowed the supervising provider to be available through virtual technology (audio/video) vs. being physically present
  • Expiring – “telehealth services by clinical staff “incident to” the professional services of physicians and other practitioners”
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Scope of Practice will revert back to requiring the supervision of a physician at the end of the PHE, unless the State Governor applies to CMS to waive this requirement
• Health and Safety Requirements, for example, the requirement that a medical record be complete at discharge, will be reinstated
• Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition is no longer tied to the PHE.  The continuous enrollment condition will end on March 31, 2023.  See Medicaid.gov/unwinding for more information