Coronavirus Daily Update: CMS Proposes Medicare Payment Changes to Support In-Home Dialysis

During this critical time, Home Health Care News remains committed to bringing you all the essential news related to home-based care operations. At the same time, we also recognize the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to our regular content, we’ll continue to highlight industry-related developments and mitigation strategies in this rolling bulletin.

What you need to know from Monday (July 6):

— The Trump Administration and CMS are taking additional steps to support access to home dialysis treatment, including newly proposed changes to the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS). The proposed changes build on President Donlad Trump’s previous Advancing American Kidney Health executive order. Specifically, CMS is proposing that certain new and innovative equipment and supplies used for dialysis treatment of patients with ESRD in the home would qualify for an additional Medicare payment. Currently, more than 85% of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with ESRD travel to a facility to receive their dialysis at least three times per week.

— Lawmakers in Colorado have approved a bill that will permanently expand telehealth coverage and access in the state, according to mHealthIntelligence. The bill requires the state Medicaid program to pay for telehealth services at rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers and the federal Indian Health Service at the same rate as in-person treatment. The bill also expands coverage to include home health and hospice care, among other services. The bill additionally allows home health care providers to supervise their own telehealth services.

— Due to the coronavirus, essentially all in-person outpatient visits were canceled in many parts of the U.S. between February and May. As a result of those cancellations, primary care practices are estimated to lose $67,774 in gross revenue per full time physician in calendar year 2020. The financial impact of COVID-19 on primary care practices is being highlighted in an upcoming Health Affairs piece.

— Despite the appearance of a new coronavirus wave sweeping the nation, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Monday that the U.S. was still “knee-deep in the first wave.” Fauci’s remarks came in a conversation with Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health. A replay of that conversation is available here.

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