HHS Announces Plans for Distribution of Remaining CARES Act Provider Relief Funding By Brian S. Werfel, Esq. March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).  As part of that Act, Congress allocated $100 billion to the creation of a “CARES Act Provider Relief Fund,” which will be used to support hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the nation’s coronavirus response.  These funds will be used to fund healthcare-related expenses or to offset lost revenue attributable to COVID-10.  These funds will also be used to ensure that uninsured Americans have access to testing a treatment for COVID-19.  Collectively, this funding is referred to as the “CARES Act Provider Relief Fund.” The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began the disbursement of the first $30 billion tranche of the CARES Act Provider Relief Funding on April 10, 2020, with full disbursement of this tranche being completed by April 17, 2020.  The American Ambulance Association has issued a Frequently Asked Question that provides additional details on how the payments under this first tranche were calculated, as well as the terms and conditions that are applicable to this disbursement. On...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to HHS CARES Act Provider Relief Funding By Brian S. Werfel, Esq. In March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).  As part of that Act, Congress allocated $100 billion to the creation of a “CARES Act Provider Relief Fund,” which will be used to support hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the nation’s coronavirus response.  These funds will be used to fund healthcare-related expenses or to offset lost revenue attributable to COVID-10.  These funds will also be used to ensure that uninsured Americans have access to testing a treatment for COVID-19.  Collectively, this funding is referred to as the “CARES Act Provider Relief Fund.” On April 9, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began the disbursement of the first $30 billion of this provider relief funding.  This disbursement was made to all healthcare providers and suppliers that were enrolled in the Medicare Program, and who received Medicare Fee-for-Service reimbursements during Calendar Year 2019.  For most ambulance providers and suppliers, these relief funds were automatically deposited into their bank accounts. In this Frequently Asked Question (FAQ), the AAA...

CMS Clarifies Medicare Requirements Related to Medical Necessity and the Patient Signature Requirement during Current National State of Emergency By Brian S. Werfel, Esq. On April 9, 2020, CMS updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for billing Medicare Fee-For-Service Claims during the current national state of emergency.  This document includes guidance for numerous industry types, including ambulance services.  The ambulance-specific questions start on page 11. Two of the more common questions that A.A.A. members have asked during the current crisis are: Whether the transportation of a patient known or suspected to be infected with the COVID-19 virus would automatically justify medical necessity for the ambulance? And, Whether CMS will be waiving the requirement that ambulance providers and suppliers obtain the patient’s signature (or an acceptable alternative signature) to consent to the submission of a claim? CMS did provide some guidance on both of these issues. CMS addressed the issue of medical necessity in its answer to Question #9 on page 13.  The question posed to CMS was whether an ambulance provider/supplier could consider any COVID-19 positive patient to meet the medical necessity requirements for an ambulance.  CMS responded as follows: “Answer: The medical necessity requirements for coverage of ambulance services...