The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced additional resources and flexibilities in response to Hurricane Milton, which struck Florida earlier this month.
Following President Biden’s emergency declaration and the determination of a Public Health Emergency (PHE) by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, CMS is taking actions to ensure access to healthcare for those affected by the hurricane. CMS is collaborating with state and federal partners to provide support to hospitals, health facilities, and individuals in need during this crisis.
Waivers for Healthcare Providers in Florida: CMS has made specific waivers available to healthcare providers impacted by the hurricane. These waivers provide added flexibility to ensure that facilities can continue operating and delivering care. Providers can submit requests for waivers through CMS’s online portal.
Special Enrollment Period for Affected Individuals: CMS is offering a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for individuals who reside in areas affected by Hurricane Milton and missed the regular enrollment period for healthcare coverage. These individuals can enroll in Marketplace health plans or make changes to existing plans up to 60 days after the end of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-designated disaster period. Those eligible should contact the Marketplace Call Center for assistance.
Support for Medicaid and CHIP Operations: CMS has developed a toolkit for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) agencies to ensure continuity of coverage during disasters. This inventory includes flexibilities that states can use to support Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries during emergencies, providing vital healthcare services and coverage.
Dialysis Care and End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Support: CMS has activated the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) program and is working with ESRD Network 7 to assess the status of dialysis facilities in Florida. The program ensures that individuals in affected areas have access to lifesaving dialysis services, including help for those who have evacuated. ESRD patients are advised to keep an emergency supply kit with essential medical and personal information.
Medical Equipment and Supplies Replacement: CMS will assist Medicare beneficiaries who have lost or damaged medical equipment, such as prosthetics or durable medical equipment, due to the hurricane. Replacements will be provided to ensure that people can continue to access the equipment they rely on daily. Beneficiaries should contact Medicare for assistance with replacements.
Access to Part D Drugs: During the PHE, CMS has issued guidance for Part D prescription drug plans to ensure that beneficiaries displaced by the hurricane can access their medications. This includes allowing access to out-of-network pharmacies and removing restrictions on refill timelines, such as the “refill too soon” edits.
Health Information Privacy and Civil Rights Compliance: The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has provided guidance on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance during emergencies. Hospitals in affected areas may receive temporary waivers for HIPAA sanctions during the emergency period. Additionally, OCR emphasizes the importance of ensuring accessibility to healthcare and human services for all individuals, including those needing interpretation and translation services. OCR offers resources to help first responders and healthcare providers address language needs in disaster situations.
In summary, CMS is working to provide healthcare access and continuity of care for those affected by Hurricane Milton. This includes offering waivers to healthcare providers, expanding enrollment options for individuals, ensuring access to critical dialysis care and medical equipment, and providing support for vulnerable populations during the PHE in Florida.
Literature is ripe with classic phrases that seem timelessly apropos. For example, take the partial federal government shutdown. For days, the phrase repeated in the
The Medicare Advantage (MA) program has grown significantly over the past two decades, becoming a popular alternative to traditional Medicare fee-for-service (FFS). As of 2023,
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Join Beth Wolf, MD, CPC, CCDS, for an in-depth webcast on the FY2025 spinal fusion MS-DRG updates. Discover key changes in DRG classification, understand impacts on documentation and CMI, and learn strategies to ensure compliance.
Join Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, as she presents effective strategies to strengthen collaboration between CDI, coding, and quality departments in acute care hospitals. Angela will also share guidance on implementing cross-departmental meetings, using shared KPIs, and engaging leadership to foster a culture of collaboration. Attendees will gain actionable tools to optimize documentation accuracy, elevate quality metrics, and drive a unified approach to healthcare goals, ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and organizational performance.
Optimize your outpatient clinical documentation and gain comprehensive knowledge from foundational practices to advanced technologies, ensuring improved patient care and organizational and financial success. This webcast bundle provides a holistic approach to outpatient CDI, empowering you to implement best practices from the ground up and leverage advanced strategies for superior results. You will gain actionable insights to improve documentation quality, patient care, compliance, and financial outcomes.
Enhancing outpatient clinical documentation is crucial for maintaining accuracy, compliance, and proper reimbursement in today’s complex healthcare environment. This webcast, presented by industry expert Angela Comfort, DBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, will provide you with actionable strategies to tackle complex challenges in outpatient documentation. You’ll learn how to craft detailed clinical narratives, utilize advanced EHR features, and implement accurate risk adjustment and HCC coding. The session also covers essential regulatory updates to keep your documentation practices compliant. Join us to gain the tools you need to improve documentation quality, support better patient care, and ensure financial integrity.
The 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule brings significant changes to payment rates, coverage, and coding for physician services, impacting practices nationwide. Join Stanley Nachimson, MS., as he provides a comprehensive guide to understanding these updates, offering actionable insights on new Medicare-covered services, revised coding rules, and payment policies effective January 1. Learn how to adapt your practices to maintain compliance, maximize reimbursement, and plan for revenue in 2025. Whether you’re a physician, coder, or financial staff member, this session equips you with the tools to navigate Medicare’s evolving requirements confidently and efficiently.
Dr. Ronald Hirsch provides critical details on the new Medicare Appeal Process for Status Changes for patients whose status changes during their hospital stay. He also delves into other scenarios of hospital patients receiving custodial care or medically unnecessary services where patient notifications may be needed along with the processes necessary to ensure compliance with state and federal guidance.
Healthcare organizations face complex regulatory requirements under the No Surprises Act and Price Transparency rules. These policies mandate extensive fee disclosures across settings, and confusion is widespread—many hospitals remain unaware they must post every contracted rate. Non-compliance could lead to costly penalties, financial loss, and legal risks. Join David M. Glaser Esq. as he shows you how to navigate these regulations effectively.
Protect your facility from unwanted audits! Join Becky Jacobsen, BSN, RN, MBS, CCS-P, CPC, CPEDC, CBCS, CEMC, and take a deep dive into both the CMS and AMA guidelines for reporting post operative pain blocks. You’ll learn how to determine if the nerve block is separately codable with real life examples for better understanding. Becky will also cover how to evaluate whether documentation supports medical necessity, offer recommendations for stronger documentation practices, and provide guidance on educating providers about documentation requirements. She’ll include a discussion of appropriate modifier and diagnosis coding assignment so that you can be confident that your billing of post operative pain blocks is fully supported and compliant.
Copyright © 2025 RACmonitor. Powered by MedLearn Media.
Prepare for the 2025 CMS IPPS Final Rule with ICD10monitor’s IPPSPalooza! Click HERE to learn more
Get 15% OFF on all educational webcasts at ICD10monitor with code JULYFOURTH24 until July 4, 2024—start learning today!
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
