The Price Transparency Rule (the Rule) became effective on January 1, 2021. By October 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had issued warnings to over 300 hospitals deemed not in compliance with the...more
On June 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued new guidance on Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting and the deadline for providers to use their funds. Provider recipients can now begin...more
The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) continues to modify guidance related to reporting requirements of the provider relief funds (“Relief Funds”) that were part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic...more
On October 1, 2020 the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced that it will distribute a total of $20 billion as part of Phase 3 of the Provider Relief Funds. The application for Phase 3 funding is now open...more
On September 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released long-awaited details about upcoming reporting requirements for certain providers that accepted funding of one or more payments exceeding...more
In late July 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a public notice about forthcoming reporting requirements for certain providers that accepted funding of one or more payments exceeding $10,000...more
On July 20, 2020, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified providers that if they received $10,000 or more in funds from the general or targeted Provider Relief Fund (PRF) established under the...more
Texas: On July 9 Governor Abbott issued a Proclamation (the Proclamation) amending Executive Order GA-27. The Proclamation expands the number of counties required to postpone all non-essential surgeries and procedures...more
On Monday, June 30, 2020, HHS spokesman Michael Caputo tweeted that HHS intends to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency before it expires on July 25, 2020. Once extended, the public health emergency will be effective...more
On June 24, 2020, Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) published guidance, in the form of an information letter, to Nursing Facility (NFs) Providers (“Providers”), detailing the approval of Temporary Emergency...more
In response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-27 on June 25, 2020, to ensure hospital bed availability for COVID-19 patients in certain...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will soon make targeted distributions of the next tranche of the Provider Relief Fund to hospitals and other facilities that have been particularly affected by caring for...more
Today, the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, issued an Executive Order that significantly loosens his previous restrictions on the performance of elective surgeries by modifying prior language and adding an additional exception to...more
On Friday April 10, 2020, the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) began distributing $30 billion in grants to healthcare providers as part of the $100 billion in relief included in the CARES Act. As discussed in...more
If you received an unexpected payment on or about Friday, April 10, 2020, via Optum Bank with "HHSPAYMENT" as the payment description, that payment was from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency (Relief) Fund...more
The past couple of days, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Medical Board (TMB) have announced initiatives applicable to Texas hospitals designed to combat the COVID-19 crisis...more
On Friday, 3/13/20, CMS issued blanket 1135 waivers that impact acute care hospitals as a result of President Trump’s declaration of a state of an emergency due to COVID-19. The blanket waivers temporarily allow acute care...more
On Friday, March 13, 2020, CMS issued blanket waivers under 42 U.S.C. 1320b-5 that impact long term acute care hospitals (LTCHs) and inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) as a result of President Trump declaring a state...more
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued broad waivers to assist in the national COVID-19 response. They impact all provider types and generally remove regulatory burdens that could restrict access to care....more
As provided in the Texas Register on March 22, 2019, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (“HHSC”) has proposed several amendments to Title 1 of the Texas Administrative Code, which include amendments to the rules...more