COVID-19 Practice Management Resources

Guidance and education for the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 emergency and beyond, including video visits, remote monitoring, and telephone visits.

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State-by-state Policy Changes Resulting from COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Many states issued their own public health emergencies, resulting in changes to Medicaid, private payer, and licensure for telehealth. While many state PHEs have expired, many state legislatures have modified rules related to use of telehealth.   

• The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) has two toolkits that track COVID-19 Telehealth Coverage Policies and COVID-19 Related State Actions, which include Medicaid clarification, waivers, and telehealth guidance, prescription and consent waivers, private payer requirements, and cross-state licensing. 
• The Alliance for Connected Care also has created an easy-to-read chart showing state changes to licensure, coverage, and other changes. 

For a full listing of all blanket waivers and flexibilities related to provider enrollment, telehealth, 1135 waivers, and other changes resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency, go here.

• CMS has revised guidance regarding additional flexibilities specific to FQHCs and RHCs (revised Nov 2022). 
• Physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists can certify the need for home health services and order services. These changes are permanent, and retroactive to March 1, 2020.

Provider Relief Fund Payments

Provider Relief Fund payments were intended to provide funds to hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare entities to cover COVID-related expenses and revenue losses.  These are payments, not loans, so recipients do not need to pay them back, but there are reporting requirements and other restrictions. There have been several distributions of general allocation payments, plus one for Medicaid and CHIP providers, and several “targeted” allocations.  For general information about the CARES Act and each distribution, click here.

• These FAQs offer clarification on various aspects of the PRF program.
• For more details on reporting requirements, including how to calculate revenues and losses, see the complete PRF and ARP Rural Payment FAQs here.
• Each distribution has terms and conditions
• The IRS provided clarification that Provider Relief Fund payments are considered taxable income. 
• The Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements issued June 11, 2021, can be found here.
• Recipients of Provider Relief Funds (all distributions) are required to submit detailed reports

Summary of Reporting Requirements

* Late Reporting 

The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) is administering the PRF reporting. Click the following for more details on the following topics:

• PRF Reporting Portal  
• Reporting and Auditing 
• Late Reporting Due to Extenuating Circumstances  
• Current and Future Payments (Phase 4 and American Rescue Plan Rural Distributions) 

Small Business Administration Programs

The US Small Business Association was put in charge of several COVID-19 relief programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) emergency advance, which offer low-interest loans to small businesses to cover payroll, benefits, rent, mortgage, utilities, and other business expenses. These programs have ended.