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This week we highlight key updates spanning from March 31st through April 5th of 2021.

Resource Spotlight: Medicare COVID-19 Data Snapshot Updated March 24,2021

The Medicare COVID-19 Data Snapshot provides summary data and visuals from Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) claims data, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans encounter data, and Medicare enrollment information.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalization are identified by ICD-10-CM codes:

·        B97.29 from January 1st through March31st 2020, and

·        U071 effective April 1, 2021 forward.

The most recent update to the Data Snapshot represents claims data from January 1, 2020 through December 26,2020. As of late 2020 around 63.1 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare with 60% in Medicare FFS, and 40% in MA plans. CMS cautions that data is preliminary as there is always a “claims lag” between services provided and when the claim is in the database.  With that in mind the specific dates of service includes claims received by January22, 2021.

Since the last Data Snapshot release:

·        For the first time since CMS began publishing the Data Snapshot, rural cases of COVID-19 (4,271 per 100,000) is higher than in urban areas (4,151 per 100,00),

·        Medicare FFS spending associated with COVID-19hospitals grew to $10.3 billion, and

·        Hypertension remains the most prevalent chronic condition among Medicare FFS COVID-19 hospitalized beneficiaries at 78%.

You can read more about the recent Data Snapshot update in a related CMS Press Release.

April 1, 2021:  Advancements in Over-the-Counter (OTC) Tests for COVID-19

The FDA announced they had taken “swift action this week to get more tests for screening asymptomatic individuals on the market” by authorizing three tests with serial screening claims. They go on to note these tests had already been authorized for use by the agency to test individuals with COVID-19 symptoms, but this week’s authorization is for testing asymptomatic individuals when used for serial testing.

April 1, 2021: Repayment of COVID-19 Accelerated and Advance Payments began March 30, 2021

CMS published MLN article SE21004 on April 1stto inform all Medicare providers and suppliers who requested and receivedCOVID-19 Accelerated and Advance Payments (CAAPs) that they began recovering those payments as early as March 30, 2021. Also included in the article is information on how to identify recovered payments.

Additional information including a Press Release, Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions is available on the CMS COVID-19 Accelerated and Advance Payments webpage.

April 1, 2021: No Out-of-Pocket Costs to Patients for COVID-19 Vaccine Administration

Currently, the United States Government has purchased all COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. for administration exclusively by enrolled providers through the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program.The Thursday April 1, 2021 edition of the CMS MLN Connects newsletter includes the following reminders for participants in this program:

“If you participate in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program, you must:

·        Administer the vaccine with no out-of-pocket cost to your patients for the vaccine or administration of the vaccine

·        Vaccinate everyone, including the uninsured,regardless of coverage or network status

You also can’t:

·        Balance bill for COVID-19 vaccinations

·        Charge your patients for an office visit or other fee if COVID-19 vaccination is the only medical service given

·        Require additional medical or other services during the visit as a condition for getting a COVID-19 vaccination

Report any potential violations of these requirements to the HHS Office of the Inspector General:

·        Call 1-800-HHS-TIPS

·        Submit an online complaint

Submit claims for administering COVID-19 vaccines to:

·        Medicare, if your patient has Medicare Part B coverage or, for 2020 and 2021, Medicare Advantage (Part C)

·        Private insurance company (PDF), including if your patient only has Medicare Part A coverage with supplemental coverage from a private insurer  

·        Your state’s Medicaid program for patients with Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage

·        Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program ,including if your Medicare patient only has Part A coverage with no supplemental coverage”

April 2, 2021: International Travel During COVID-19 – CDC Guidance Updated

The CDC has updated their guidance regarding international travel during COVID-19 to note that “fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants. CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.” The update also includes tips for getting tested after travel and self-quarantining.

April 5, 2021: Acute Hospital Care at Home Program List of Approved Hospitals Updated

This program is an expansion of the CMS Hospitals Without Walls Initiative launched over a year ago now in March 2020. CMS once again updated the list of approved hospitals. The updated list also includes a note that this list will be moving to the CMS Hospital at Home webpage beginning April 9, 2021.

My youngest nephew is currently the number one pitcher for his high school baseball team. His team recently participated in a spring break tournament in Memphis, Tennessee. Unfortunately, they only won one game. However, as my brother said, it was a valuable experience for the coaches to identify what the challenges are for the team for the rest of the season.

Similarly, hospitals are challenged with identifying who all of the players are that perform Medicare Fee-for-Service record reviews and what risk areas are they targeting. So, instead of Abbott and Costello trying to clarify “Who’s on First, What’s on second, and I Don’t Know’s on third,” this article identifies the Who’s (OIG, MAC, RAC, SMRC, CERT, and PEPPER), so you won’t feel like the third baseman “I Don’t Know.”

Office of Inspector General (OIG):

In June of 2017 the OIG began updating their once Annual Work Plan on a monthly basis. In an announcement they indicated that the Work Planning Process is “dynamic and adjustments are made throughout the year to meet priorities and to anticipate and respond to emerging issues with the resources available. You can learn more about the work plan, recently added items, all active work plan items and a work plan archive on the OIG website. You can access the Work Plan on the OIG website.

Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs):

In October 2017, CMS implemented a Target Probe and Educate (TPE) Review Process for the MACs. With this type of approach, MACs focus on providers/suppliers who have the highest claim error rates or billing practices that vary significantly from their peers. In general, MACs will post a current Active Medical Log to their website. Depending on the MAC, this can sometimes be a challenge to find.

At this time, due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, TPE Reviews are on hold. However, MACs are conducting Post-Payment Reviews. Similar to TPE Reviews, MACs have been posting their post-payment review targets and audit findings to their websites.

If you are unsure of who your MAC is, you can find out on the CMS MAC Website List webpage.

Recovery Audit Program (RACs)

The RACs review claims on a post-payment basis. CMS maintains a RAC webpage where you will find links to each of the RACs across the country, Proposed Topics and Approved RAC Topics for review. A few of their current Approved Topics includes Total Knee Arthroplasty, Polysomnography, and Implantable Automatic Defibrillators (ICDs) medical necessity and documentation requirements reviews.

Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC)

The SMRC performs reviews at the direction of CMS with the aim of lowering improper payment rates.

On February 13, 2018 CMS announced that Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC, was awarded the new $227 million contract. Similar to the RACs, one of the current projects for Noridian is polysomnography. They are also conducting a medical review of COVID-19 claims in response to the 20% add on payment as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act enacted on March 27, 2020.

The Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) Program

CMS implemented the CERT program to measure improper payments in the Medicare Fee-for-Service program. Annually, the CERT selects a stratified random sample of approximately 50,000 claims submitted to Part A/B MACs and Durable Medical Equipment MACs (DMACs) for review. It is important to keep in mind that the CERT reports a measurement of payments not meeting Medicare requirements and is not a “fraud rate.”

Every year an Annual Report and Report Appendices is published on the CERT CMS webpage. Reviewing these reports can help you identify high error prone case types. For example, in the 2020 Medicare Fee-for-Service Supplemental Improper Payment Data, the top four service types with highest improper payments in the hospital inpatient setting included:

• Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity (MS-DRGs 469 and 470),
• Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacements (MS-DRGs 266, and 267),
• Spinal Fusion Except Cervical (MS-DRGs 459 and 460), and
• Percutaneous Intracardiac Procedures (MS-DRGs 273 and 274).

Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIOs)

In 2015, CMS made the decision to move Short Stay reviews from the MACs to the BFCC-QIOs. These reviews are for hospital inpatient admissions with a length of stay less than two midnights and focus on ensuring doctors and hospitals are following the Part A payment policy for inpatient admission. Effective May 8, 2019, CMS temporarily suspended Short Stay reviews to find one contractor to perform Short Stay and Higher Weighted DRG (HWDRG) reviews. To date, CMS has not announced who this will be. In the meantime, you can find out who your BFCC-QIO is at this website: https://qioprogram.org/contact.

Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER)

The PEPPER is an electronic data report containing a single hospital’s claims data statistics for MS-DRGs and discharges at risk for improper payment due to billing, coding and/or admission necessity issues. Each report compares a hospital to their state, MAC Jurisdiction and the nation. “The Office of Inspector General encourages hospitals to develop and implement a compliance program to protect their operations from fraud and abuse. As part of a compliance program, a hospital should conduct regular audits to ensure charges for Medicare services are correctly documented and billed. The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) can help guide the hospital’s auditing and monitoring activities.” In general, a hospital’s Quality Department can provide the report to key departments (i.e. Case Management and HIM).

MMP’s Protection Assessment Report (PAR)

In January of 2017, the OIG, in collaboration with a group of compliance professionals, released a Resource Guide to measure the effectiveness of compliance programs.  Items 5.27-5.36 emphasize that a Risk Assessment is key to developing an effective Compliance audit/work plan.  As you can see from the list of Contractors above, the number of Medicare risk areas to consider can be overwhelming and the financial risk is great.

Medical Management Plus, Inc. (MMP) can help.  Our proprietary Protection Assessment Report incorporates current OIG, MAC, RAC, SMRC, CERT, and PEPPER risk areas into one report. Working closely with RealTime Medicare Data (RTMD), hospital specific Medicare fee-for-service paid claims data (volume, charges and payments) for risk areas is included in this report. If you are interested in learning more about this Report, please contact us using the form below or 205-941-1105.

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SEQUESTRATION SUSPENSION EXTENSION, COVID-19 ACCELERATED/ADVANCED PAYMENTS RECOUPMENT IS ALMOST HERE, CMS TO RESUME HOSPITAL SURVEY ACTIVITIES, CDC REPORTS ON EFFICACY OF PFIZER & MODERNA VACCINES

This week we highlight key updates spanning from March 23rd through the 30th of 2021.

March 24, 2021:  OIG Report – Hospitals Operating in Survival Mode

The OIG released the Report in Brief titled, Hospitals Reported That the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Significantly Strained Health Care Delivery. This report is a compilation of perspectives shared by front-line in hospital administrators at 320 hospitals nationwide during brief interviews conducted from February 22nd through the 26th of 2021. The OIG calls this process a “Pulse Survey.” The first Pulse Survey highlighting challenges hospitals are facing was conducted in March 2020. The OIG notes that “this pulse survey offers hospital administrators’ perspectives on the most significant strains that the response to COVID-19 has exerted on hospitals, as well as their perspectives on the longer-term implications of these strains.” The following list are examples of Hospital-Reported Challenges in this report:

• Difficulty balancing the complex and resource-intensive care needs for COVID-19 patients with efforts resuming routine hospital care,
• Staffing shortages have affected patient care,
• Exhaustion and trauma have taken a toll on staff’s mental health, and
• Challenges associated with vaccine distribution efforts and concerns about hesitancy to receive a vaccine.

March 24, 2021: FDA Consumer Update: Learn More About COVID-19 Vaccines from the FDA

In this Consumer Update, common questions about COVID-19 vaccines are answered by the FDA. The update also provides a link to a YouTube video providing four facts about COVID-19 vaccines.

March 25, 2021: COVID-19 Legislation Related to Sequestration Suspension

• The Budget Control Act of 2011 included a 2.00% across-the-board sequestration reduction to Medicare Fee-for-Service claims payments.
• The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act suspended this payment adjustment from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
• Subsequently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, signed into law on December 27, 2020, extended this suspension to March 31, 2021.
• On March 19, 2021, the U.S. House passed House Resolution (HR) 1868, which would extend the sequestration suspension through December 31, 2021.
• On March 25, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Amendment SA 1410 titled, Extension of Temporary Suspension of Medicare Sequestration. Similar to HR 1868, this Amendment extends the Sequestration suspension through December 31, 2021.

In the March 25, 2021 Senate Congressional Record discussion, Senator Shaheen (D-NH) noted in her remarks that “this week, I heard from Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, NH. They highlighted that this legislation would result in $2.1 million in desperately needed additional revenue for the hospitals…by passing a continued moratorium through 2021, Wentworth-Douglass will be in a better place to care for those in need and respond to any future crisis affecting the health of our community.”

The American Hospital Association (AHA) released a Special Bulletin in response to passage of the Senate bill. The AHA notes in the bulletin that “the House is expected to take up the Senate-passed bill the week of April 13 when it returns to Washington D.C. It is expected that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will hold the Medicare claims until the bill is signed into law as it has done in the past.”

March 26, 2021: COVID-19 Accelerated/Advance Payments (CAAPs) Recoupment Fast Approaching

Palmetto GBA, the Medicare Administrative Contractor for Jurisdictions J and M sent the following notice regarding CAAPs to those subscribed to receive emails:

“Providers and suppliers requesting and receiving COVID-19 Accelerated/Advance Payments (CAAPs) in 2020 will receive an email in the coming days reminding them that the recoup period is fast approaching. The emails are being issued to a provider or supplier designated CAAP point of contact.

Included in the email is a copy of the October 2020 reminder email that includes details regarding any CAAPs issued to that entity. Please note the amount due as listed on the October 2020 email attachment does not reflect any amount already refunded towards that balance. There is no need to call the provider contact center. Your current amount owed can be located in eServices’ Financial Tools tab, under Overpayment Data. No offset will begin occurring unless there is still an outstanding CAAP balance for the provider, supplier or an affiliated provider with the same tax identification number.  

Resource: Accelerated and Advance Payment Repayment & Recovery Frequently Asked Questions (October 8, 2020) (PDF, 45 KB)”

March 26, 2021: CMS to Resume Hospital Survey Activities

On January 20, 2021, CMS issued a memo limiting hospital surveys for 30 days “to ensure quality of care oversight while providing hospitals the ability to focus on serving their patients and communities.” The limitations were extended on February 18, 2021 for an additional 30 days through March 22, 2021. On March 26, 2021, CMS issued the Memorandum titled Resuming Hospital Survey Activities Following 30-Day Restrictions to inform State Survey Agency Directors with their plan to resume survey activities.

March 26, 2021: Department of Justice and COVID-19 Fraud

The Department of Justice published a notice detailing actions they have taken to combat COVID-19 related fraud. They note that as of March 26th:

• 474 defendants have been publicly charged with criminal offenses for fraud related schemes connected to the COVID-19 pandemic,
• Cumulatively, this represents attempts to obtain over $569 million from the U.S. government and unsuspecting individuals.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division following message is included in this announcement: “To anyone thinking of using the global pandemic as an opportunity to scam and steal from hardworking Americans, my advice is simple – don’t…no matter where you are or who you are, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

March 29, 2021: CDC Resource for Healthcare Providers: Caring for Patients at Higher Risks for Developing Severe Outcomes of COVID-19

The CDC has published this webpage specifically as an evidence-based resource for Healthcare Providers and notes that this page is distinct from the People with Certain Medical Conditions webpage which is intended for the general public. Following are examples of information shared on this webpage:

• Age is the strongest risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes as people 65 years or older accounts for more than 80% of the U.S. COVID-19 related deaths.
• Adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. This risk increases as the number of underlying medical conditions for a person increases.
• The most common comorbidities, based on key findings from a retrospective study of 64,781 patients with COVID-19, includes:
• 46.7% of the patients had hypertension (HTN),
• 28.9% of the patient patients had a diagnosis of hyperlipidemia,
• 27.9% of the patients were a diabetic, and
• 16.1% of the patients had a chronic pulmonary condition.

March 29, 2021: CDC Study Confirms Protective Benefits of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

The CDC announced in a Press Release the findings of a new study which “provides strong evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections in real-world conditions among health care personnel, first responders, and other essential workers.”  Results among study participants revealed the following:

• Following a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was reduced by 80% two or more weeks after vaccination, and
• Following the second dose of vaccine, risk of infection was reduced by 90% two or more weeks after vaccination.

March 30, 2021: Special Edition MLN Connects: Temporary Claims Hold

CMS released the following notice in a Special Edition MLN Connects regarding the pending congressional action to extend the Sequestration Suspension:

“In anticipation of possible Congressional action to extend the 2% sequester reduction suspension, we instructed the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to hold all claims with dates of service on or after April 1, 2021, for a short period without affecting providers’ cash flow. This will minimize the volume of claims the MACs must reprocess if Congress extends the suspension; the MACs will automatically reprocess any claims paid with the reduction applied if necessary.”

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This week we highlight key updates spanning from March 16th through 22nd of 2021.

March 15, 2021: FDA Launches COVID-19 Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) Public Dashboard

The FDA has launched this dashboard with the intent to make adverse event data publically available. In the Public Dashboard announcement, the FDA does note that there are limitations to the data. “For example, while FAERS contains reports on a particular drug or biologic, this does not mean that the drug or biologic caused the adverse event.”

March 16, 2021: CDC Updates Regarding SARS-CoV-2 Variants

The CDC updated their SARS-CoV-2 Variants webpage. Multiple variants have now been detected and a US government interagency group has developed a Variant Classification scheme to define the three classes of variants:

• Variant of Interest,
• Variant of concern, and
• Variant of High Consequence.

To date, California has seen two variants of concern (B.1.427 and B.1.429). Both of the variants may be about 20 percent more transmissible.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info.html

Two variants in California are now considered “variants of concern”

March 17, 2021:  American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 Funding for COVID-19

President Biden signed the ARP Act into law on March 11, 2021. The following list highlights how some of the $1.9 trillion will be allocated to continue the fight against COVID-19:

• $10 billion will be used to ramp up screening testing to help schools reopen,
• $2.25 billion to scale up testing in underserved populations, and provide new guidance on asymptomatic screening testing in schools, workplaces, and congregate settings, and
• $255 million for the production and delivery of 50 million Abbot BinaxNOW rapid point-of-care antigen tests for COVID-19 to support continued screening testing in long-term care facilities.

You can read more about where funding is being allocated in a March 17, 2021 HHS Press Release. 

March 17, 2021: First SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Test Permitted to be Marketed beyond the Public Health Emergency

The FDA announced that the BioFire Respiratory Panel 2.1 (RP2.1) has been granted marketing authorization using the De Novo premarket review pathway. The BioFire Respiratory Panel is “a diagnostic test for the simultaneous qualitative detection and identification of multiple respiratory viral and bacterial nucleic acids in nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) obtained from individuals suspected of COVID-19 and other respiratory tract infections.” This test is for use in patients suspected of respiratory tract infections, including COVID-19.

March 18, 2021: CPT Codes Inadvertently Added to Telehealth Services

The 2021 Physician Fee Schedule final rule was issued on December 1, 2020. A related CMS Fact Sheet indicates that CMS finalized a third temporary category of criteria for adding services to the list of Medicare telehealth services. “Category 3 describes services added to the Medicare telehealth list during the public health emergency (PHE)…for the COVID-19 pandemic that will remain on the list through the calendar year in which the PHE ends.”  CMS published final and interim final rule corrections in the March 18, 2021 Federal Register. Specific to the Category 3 list, CMS notes that the following four CPT codes were “inadvertently” added to the services for temporary addition to telehealth services list:

• CPT code 96121: Neurobehavioral Status Examination,
• CPT code 99221: New or established patient initial hospital inpatient care services,
• CPT code 99222: New or established patient initial hospital inpatient care services, and
• CPT code 99223: New or established patient initial hospital inpatient care services.

March 18, 2021: FDA Revises Fact Sheets to Address SARS-CoV-2 Variants for Monoclonal Antibody Products under EUA

The FDA announced revisions to health care provider fact sheets “to include additional information on the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants to each of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies that are available through an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) treatment of COVID-19.” Specifically, fact sheets for Bamlanivimab, Bamlanivimab and Etesevimab and REGEN_COV (Casirivimab and Imdevimab) has been revised.

March 19, 2021: U.S. House Passes Bill to Extend Halt on Sequestration

The Budget Control Act of 2011 included a 2.00% across-the-board sequestration reduction to Medicare Fee-for-Service claims payments. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act suspended this payment adjustment from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Subsequently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that was signed into law on December 27, 2020 extended this suspension to March 31, 2021. Now, as we are closing in on the end of March, the U.S. house has passed House Resolution (HR) 1868 that would extend this extension to December 31, 2021.

This week we highlight key updates spanning from March 10th through 15th of 2021.

Resource Spotlight: Long COVID Alliance

The Long COVID Alliance began in 2020 with a group of 21 science, post-viral disease and patient advocacy organizations calling for the government to invest in Long COVID research. To date 50+ partners have joined this alliance. Why is this collective so important? Long COVID also known as Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, Long Haulers, Long-term COVID-19, or LTC-19 as a group, have lingering symptoms and has to date impacted 3.2 million Americans. In fact, “these symptoms persist in an estimated 25-35% of COVID-19 patients, regardless of infection severity, even after the patient no longer tests positive for the virus or antibodies…Long COVID generally refers to cases where symptoms continue to persist for 90 days or more.” I encourage you to check out the Alliance’s website to learn about their goals, and the impact to date that their efforts have made.

March 10, 2021: Trust for America’s Health Ready or Not 2021 Report

The Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) “develops reports and other resources and initiatives, and recommends policies, to advance an evidence-based public health system that is ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century.” On March 10th, TFAH released the report, Ready or Not 2021: Protecting the Public's Health Against Diseases, Disaster and Bioterrorism, measuring states’ performance on specific indicators. John Auerbach, President and CEO of TFAH is quoted in the announcement about this report that “The importance of this report is that it gives states actionable data to adopt policies that save lives. The COVID-19 crisis shows that we have much more work to do to protect Americans from health threats, particularly in the ways in which structural racism create and exacerbate health risks within communities of color. States need to take aggressive steps to shore up their preparedness for all types of public health emergencies.”

March 10, 2021: CMS Revises Nursing Home Visitation Recommendations

CMS has updated the September 17, 2020 memorandum titled Nursing Home Visitation – COVID-19. Revisions include new guidance for visitation in nursing homes during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), including the impact of COVID-19 vaccination. First and foremost, the Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention remains in place. The first principle has been updated to now include denial of entry to a facility for “those who have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 infection in the prior 14 days (regardless of the visitor’s vaccination status).” You can also read more about the revisions in a related CMS Fact Sheet.

March 11, 2021: HHS News: Vaccine Program Expanded to 950 Community Health Centers

HHS announced in this Press Release that an additional 700 Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) supported health centers are to be invited to join the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program. These 700 centers “serve high proportions of low-income and minority patients, provides services to rural or frontier populations, operate Tribal/Urban Indian Health Programs, and/or utilize mobile vans to deliver services.” 

March 11, 2021: Adults 18 and over Eligible for Vaccination no later than May 1st

President Biden announced in his first Prime Time speech to the nation that “All adult Americans will be eligible to get a vaccine no later than May 1. That's much earlier than expected. Let me be clear. That doesn't mean everyone's going to have that shot immediately, but it means you'll be able to get in line beginning May 1. Every adult will be eligible to get their shot, and to do this, we're going to go from a million shots a day that I promised in December before I was sworn in to beating our current pace of two million shots a day, outpacing the rest of the world.”

March 12, 2021: Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Propofol-Lipuro

The FDA’s March 12th COVID-19 Update Bulletin included the announcement of an EUA for Propofol-Lipuro 1% injection emulsion for use in patients older than 16 requiring sedation via continuous infusion who are in an intensive care unit on mechanical ventilation. The FDA notes that “Propofol-Lipuro 1% injectable emulsion for infusion is not FDA-approved and has important differences in its formulation compared to FDA-approved propofol drugs; providers should consult the Health Care Provider Fact Sheet for more information before administering it.”

March 12, 2021: Palmetto GBA Article – COVID-19 Laboratory Test Place of Service Limitation

Included in Palmetto GBA’s March 12, 2021 Daily Newsletter was an article indicating that “CMS has directed Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to make any necessary Part B claim editing changes to ensure the following COVID-19 laboratory tests when billed with place of service 19 (off-campus outpatient hospital), 21 (inpatient hospital), 22 (on-campus outpatient hospital), or 23 (emergency room-hospital) are denied.”

March 15, 2021: OIG COVID-19 Portal Redesign

The OIG announced that their COVID-19 Portal has been redesigned and features additional resources, including a searchable list of their COVID-19 reports and downloadable graphics.

March 15, 2021: CMS Increases Medicare Payment for Administering COVID-19 Vaccine

CMS announced in a Press Release that the payment amount for administering the COVID-19 is increasing and noted that “this new and higher payment rate will support important actions taken by providers that are designed to increase the number of vaccines they can furnish each day.” Effective for COVID-19 vaccines administered on or after March 15, 2021, the national average payment rate for physicians, hospitals, pharmacies and other immunizers is increasing from approximately $28 to administer each dose of the vaccine to $40.

MLN Matter Article MM12175 was released March 9th and highlights changes in related CR12175 that have an effective date of April 1, 2021 and an implementation date of April 5, 2021. Following is a list of changes effective April 1st along with what you need to know:

Revised APC Assignments for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 CPT Administration Codes - What you need to know:

The APC assignments for the administration codes are being reassigned.

• CPT codes 0001A (Pfizer Administration/Immunization code – first dose) and 0011A (Moderna Administration/Immunization code – first dose) from APC 1492 to APC 9397, and
• CPT codes 0002A (Pfizer Administration/Immunization code – second dose) and 0012A (Moderna Administration/Immunization code – second dose) from APC 1493 to APC 9398.

You will find a link to Table 1 of CR 12175 that lists the APC titles for the two new COVID-19 vaccine administration codes in this article.

Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine and Vaccine Administration Code – What you need to know:

The American Medical Association (AMA) released 2 new CPT codes associated with this vaccine:

• CPT code 91303 – vaccine product code, and
• CPT cod 0031A – Administration/Immunization code.

The FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for this vaccine on February 27, 2021.

New Monoclonal Antibody Therapy Product Administration Codes – What you need to know:

Following is a list of new HCPCS codes for therapies that have been granted a EUA by the FDA and the effective date for the codes:

• M0239 and Q0239 established effective November 9, 2020 for bamlanivimab,
• M0243 and Q0243 established effective November 21, 2020 for casirivimab and imdevimab,
• M0245 and Q0245 established effective February 9, 2021 for bamlanivimab and etesevimab administered together.

The MLN article provides detail regarding payment for a monoclonal antibody product.

CPT Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) Coding Change Effective April 1, 2021 – What you need to know:

Six new PLA codes have been established by the AMA CPT Editorial Panel with an effective date of April 1, 2021. This article provides a link to the table of new codes, which includes the code, long descriptor of the code and the OPPS Status Indicator (SI) for each code.

New HCPCS Codes – What you need to know:

The following two new HCPCS codes were established and are effective April 1, 2021:

• HCPCS code C9776: describes the application of intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence imaging using indocyanine green on the extrahepatic ducts. The administration of this is associated with laparscopy cholecystectomy, and
• HCPCS code C9777: describes the technology associated with esophageal mucosal integrity testing by Electrical Impedance.

Drugs, Biologicals, and Radiopharmaceuticals – What you need to know:

• Three new HCPCS codes have been created and are effective April 1, 2021 for reporting drugs and biologicals in the hospital outpatient setting where there was no specific code available.
• C9074 – Injection, lumasiran, 0.5 mg (Status Indicator G and APC 9407),
• J7212 – Factor viia (antihemophilic factor, recombinant)-jncw (sevenfact), 1 microgram (Status Indicator G and APC 9395), and
• Q5122 – Injection, pegfilgrastim-apgf, biosimilar, (nyvepria), 0.5 mg (Status Indicator G and APC 9406).
• 10 HCPCS codes will have their pass-through status end on March 31, 2021. Table 11 of CR 12175 lists these codes and can be linked to from the MLN article. Effective April 1, 2021, the status indicator for all 10 HCPCS codes will change from G to K.
• Seven new drug, biological, and radiopharmaceutical HCPCS codes have been established with an effective date of April 1, 2021. These codes are listed in Table 12 of CR 12175.
• Two drug, biological, and radiopharmaceutical HCPCS codes will be deleted April 1, 2021:
• J7333 – Hyaluronan or derivative, visco-3, for intra-articular injection, per dose, and
• J7401 – Mometasone furoate sinus implant, 10 micrograms.
• HCPCS code Q5122 (injection, pegfilgrasim-apgf, biosimilar, (Nyveprio), 0.5 mg) status indicator for January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021 will be changed retroactively from E2 to K in the April I/OCE.

Drugs and Biologicals with Payments Based on Average Sale Price (ASP)

“Effective April 1, 2021, payment rates for many drugs and biologicals will change from the values published in the CY 2021 OPPS/ASC final rule with comment period as a result of the new ASP calculations based on sales price submissions from the third quarter of CY 2020. In cases where adjustments to payment rates are necessary, they will be incorporated into the April 2021 Fiscal Intermediary Shared System (FISS) release. We are not publishing updated payment rates in this CR implementing the April 2021 OPPS update. However, the updated payment rates effective April 1, 2021, are in the April 2021 update of the OPPS Addendums A and B.”

Note, this MLN article also includes additional changes to specific HCPCS codes (i.e. changes to the long descriptor of a code and status indicator changes/corrections). I encourage key stakeholders in your facility to read MLN MM12175 and Change Request 12175.

This week we highlight key updates spanning from March 2nd through 9th of 2021.

Resource Spotlight: CDC Guidance when You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated

The CDC has updated their guidance for when you have been fully vaccinated. Following is what has changed: If you’ve been fully vaccinated:

• “You can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.

• You can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
• If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.
• However, if you live in a group setting (like a correctional or detention facility or group home) and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.”

March 2, 2021: Merck and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Production Collaboration

An HHS Press Release details that that HHS will be coordinating with Merck to “repurpose some of its existing Merck facilities for rapid large-scale manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics for use in public health emergencies included the current pandemic.” Janssen Pharmaceuticals will be the first federal partner to use these facilities to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines.

March 4, 2021: Alabama Safer at Home Order Extended until April 9, 2021 at 5 p.m.

On March 4th, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey once again extended the Safer at Home order. While the mask requirements did not change there are a few new changes to the order, for example:

• Hospitals and Nursing Homes: Subject to reasonable restrictions, patients and residents will be allowed visits from as many as two caregivers (up from one) or as many as two visitors (up from one) at a time and
• Senior Citizen Centers: Programs other than congregate meals may resume, but only outdoors and subject to guidelines by the Alabama Department of Senior Services. Meals still available by curbside pick-up or delivery.

March 4, 2021: COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Meeting

HHS has filed a notice in the Federal Register to provide notice that the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force is conducting a virtual meeting on Friday March 26, 2021 from approximately 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. They do note the time is tentative and subject to change. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss equitable vaccine access and acceptance. The meeting is open to the public and will be live streamed at www.hhs.gov/live. Information about the meeting will be posted on the HHS Office of Minority Health website at www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/healthequitytaskforce/.

March 4, 2021: MLN Connects – COVID Vaccine Resources for Hard to Reach Patients

CMS provided the following information in their March 4th edition of MLN Connects:

“The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting Medicare-Medicaid dually eligible individuals, racial and ethnic minority groups, and individuals with disabilities. You can help make sure hard to reach Medicare patients get COVID-19 vaccination information during this public health emergency.

More Information:

• CMS Office of Minority Health COVID-19 Resources on Vulnerable Populationswith fact sheets in multiple languages to assist organizations who work with those most vulnerable, such as older adults, those with underlying medical conditions, racial and ethnic minorities, rural communities, and people with disabilities
• CDC Communication Toolkitfor migrants, refugees, and other limited-English-proficient populations”

March 5, 2021: COVID-19 Scams

The OIG updated their Fraud Alert: COVID-19 Scams webpage to alert the public about fraudulent offers of COVID-19 tests, HHS grants, and Medicare prescription cards in exchange for personal details including Medicare information. “These scammers use the coronavirus pandemic to benefit themselves, and beneficiaries face potential harm. The personal information collected can be used to fraudulently bill federal health care programs and commit medical identity theft.”

March 5, 2021: First Molecular Non-Prescription, At-Home COVID-19 Test Granted Emergency Use Authorization

The FDA issued a EUA for Cue COVID-19 Test for Home and Over the Counter (OTC) Use. “Cue COVID-19 Test for Home and Over The Counter (OTC) Use test is authorized for non-prescription home use for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in anterior nasal (nasal) swab specimens collected with the Cue Sample Wand. This test is intended for use in adults (self-swabbing) or children two years of age or older (swabbed by an adult) with or without symptoms or other epidemiological reasons to suspect COVID-19.”

March 5, 2021: EUA for Adaptive Biotechnologies T-Detect COVID Test

The FDA announced in a bulletin the issuance of a EUA for the T-Detect COVID test developed by Adaptive Biotechnologies. The test can aid in identifying people with recent or prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 and “is indicated for use by qualified healthcare professionals on samples from individuals who are 15 days or more post-symptom onset.”

CDC COVID Data Tracker – United States COVID-19 Cases

I was first introduced to the concept of Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) in 1998. Fast forward to 2021 to CDI now being an acronym for Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI). Put simply, CDI is a collaboration between Physicians, CDI Specialists, and Coding Professionals with an end goal of accurately telling the patient’s story. On the Physicians end, the story is told through what he or she documents in the medical record. The CDI Specialist works as a bridge between the Physician and the Coding Professional who interprets documentation and tells the story through codes (ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, CPT, etc.).

On February 24, 2021, the OIG released a Data Brief titled Trend Toward More Expensive Inpatient Hospital Stays in Medicare Emerged Before COVID-19 and Warrants Further Scrutiny. Hospitals and more specifically Physicians, CDI Specialists and Coding professionals should be aware that the OIG is calling into question the story that is being told about patient hospitalizations across the country. This is evident by the Data Brief’s three takeaways:  

• Hospitals increasingly billed for inpatient stays at the highest severity level – the most expensive level – from FY 2014 through FY 2019.
• There are indications that these stays are vulnerable to inappropriate billing practices, such as upcoding.
• We recommend that CMS conduct targeted reviews of MS-DRGs and stays that are vulnerable to upcoding, as well as the hospitals that frequently bill for them.

Key OIG Findings by the Numbers

The OIG reviewed inpatient hospital claims with dates of service from CMS Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 through FY 2019. Listed below are key findings that led the OIG to conclude that hospitals may be upcoding.

OIG Findings from FY 2014 to FY 2019

• There was an almost 20% increase in claims billed to Medicare Severity Diagnostic Related Groups (MS-DRGs) with a major co-morbidity or complication (MCC).
• The Average Length of Stay (ALOS) for this group of claims decreased while the overall ALOS remained fairly flat.

In general, MCC’s are diagnoses that when present, you would anticipate the need to use more resources to care for the patient and the patient would have a longer length of stay. For example, you would expect the patient admitted with simple pneumonia that develops acute respiratory failure (which is an MCC) would require more resources and remain in the hospital longer than the patient admitted and discharges with only simple pneumonia.

FY 2019 Specific OIG Findings:

• $3.5 million (40%) of claims were billed to MS-DRGs with an MCC,
• Medicare spent $109.8 billion for inpatient stays and nearly half of this amount ($54.6 billion) was for claims billed to MS-DRGs with an MCC,
• The MS-DRG severity split in FY 2019 was found to be
• 7% were MS-DRGs with MCC,
• 1% were MS-DRGs with CC,
• 5% were MS-DRGS with a CC or MCC, and
• 7% of the claims were for claims where an MCC or CC does not impact the MS-DRG assignment (i.e. MS-DRG 313 [Chest Pain] or MS-DRG 312 [Syncope]),
• The average payment for stays with an MCC was $15,500, and
• Septicemia or severe sepsis with an MCC (MS-DRG 871) was the most frequently billed MS-DRG in FY 2019 (581,000 claims). Medicare paid $7.4 billion to hospitals for this one MS-DRG.

Short Length of Stay Claims

For this data review, the OIG defined short stays as MS-DRGs with LOS 20% shorter than the geometric mean length of stay (GMLOS) for the MS-DRG. Certain discharge dispositions were also excluded where a short stay would be expected (patient expired, patient left against medical advice (AMA), patient transferred to another acute care facility or patient elected hospice care).

The OIG provides specific examples of MS-DRGs with MCC that were more likely to have a short LOS. Specifically, they found that a third of the claims billed to the following MS-DRGs were short stays:

• MS-DRG 193: Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC,
• MS-DRG 291: Heart Failure and Shock with MCC, and
• MS-DRG 682: Renal Failure with MCC.

MS-DRGs with One MCC

Over half (54%) of the claims billed with an MCC in FY 2019 were assigned to an MS-DRG based one just one diagnosis designated as an MCC. The OIG notes in their data brief that “stays that reach the highest severity level because of one diagnosis are particularly vulnerable to upcoding. Previous OIG work has found that inappropriate billing of a single major complication can lead to significant Medicare overpayments. In addition, CMS states that a high amount of stays with a single major complication could indicate “over-coding” (i.e., upcoding) of the complications.”

Similar to short length of stay claims, the OIG provides specific examples of MS-DRGs with MCC that were more likely to have only one diagnosis designated as an MCC.

• Over 80% of claims billed to MS-DRG 689 (Kidney and Urinary Traction Infections with MCC) only had one MCC on the claim.
• Nearly 70% of the following three MS-DRGs had only one MCC on the claim:
• MS-DRG 190: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC,
• MS-DRG 193: Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC, and
• MS-DRG 682: Renal Failure with MCC.

OIG Acknowledges Limitations of Study

The OIG does note their study was based on claims data and not medical record reviews. In saying that, they acknowledge that record reviews would be necessary to validate whether or not individual claims were inappropriately billed. Examples of specific factors considered by the OIG that may have impacted the data includes:

• The transition to ICD-10,
• The 2-midnight policy,
• Shifts of surgical procedures to the outpatient setting,
• Increases in efficiencies of care, and
• Advancements in technology.

However, they note that “None fully account for the trends described in the report. For example, the fact that the average length of all hospital stays largely remained the same undermines the idea that efficiencies of care or advancements in technology are driving factors. In addition, the billing trends described in this report began before the transition to ICD-10 in FY 2016 and continued well after, refuting that as a significant factor as well.”

There are a couple of things that I believe the OIG did not consider. First, is the Association for Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS). This Association began on October 1, 2007 which coincided with the go-live date for the transition to the new MS-DRG system which brought about the advent of MCCs. Per the ACDIS Code of Ethics, Clinical documentation improvement specialists shall “Facilitate accurate, complete, and consistent clinical documentation within the health record to support coding and reporting of high-quality healthcare data.”

Speaking only for myself, I believe this group of dedicated professionals collaborating with and educating physicians has resulted in more accurate and complete medical record documentation. The end result being an increase in CMI and reimbursement that is not due to up-coding.

Another issue I believe the OIG did not consider is hospital coding productivity requirements. When discussing review findings with our clients, it is not uncommon that we are told that once they find an MCC or CC to impact the MS-DRG assignment, they do not continue to look for additional MCCs or CCs.

OIG Recommendations

As mentioned earlier in this article, the OIG is recommending that in general, CMS conduct targeted reviews of MS-DRGs and hospital stays that are vulnerable to upcoding, which they define as claims billed with an MCC and the hospitals that frequently bill them. More specifically, review targets should be directed at hospitals that bill MS-DRGs with the following characteristics:   

• MS-DRGs with an MCC with a short stay,
• MS-DRGs with only one MCC driving the MS-DRG assignment, and
• Specific MS-DRGs with MCC with a high proportion of stays that are a short stay and or only have one MCC driving the MS-DRG (i.e. MS-DRG 193: Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC).

The OIG notes that in addition to using targeted review results to recoup overpayments, “CMS should use them to educate hospitals about appropriate billing, modify coding policies, and consider whether further steps should be taken to disincentivize inappropriate billing.”

CMS Response to Recommendations

CMS does not agree with the targeted reviews recommendations stating “that there is more work to be done to determine conclusively which changes in billing are attributable to upcoding. CMS also said that it would share our findings with its Recover Audit Contractors for their consideration in updating their strategies for reviewing MS-DRGs.”

MMP Recommendations Moving Forward

Hospitals should carefully read the story that this OIG Data Brief provides and find answers to the following questions:

• Has there been an increase in your short stays where the claim codes to an MS-DRG with an MCC? Is this true for your claims coding to MS-DRG 193 (Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC), MS-DRG 291 (Heart Failure and Shock with MCC), and MS-DRG 682 (Renal Failure with MCC)?
• Do your claims coded to MS-DRGs with MCC only have one MCC? Is this true for your claims coding to MS-DRG 689 (Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC), MS-DRG 190 (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC), MS-DRG 193 (Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC) and MS-DRG 682 (Renal Failure with MCC)?

While you can data mine internally to answer these questions. Do you know how you compare to other hospitals? If not, do you know where you can find answers?

PEPPER

One resource is the Short-Term Acute Care Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report or PEPPER. This report provides a hospital with a compare to their state, their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Jurisdiction and the nation for specific review targets “at risk for improper payment due to billing, coding, and/or admission necessity items.” Related to the OIG Data Brief, the PEPPER provides a compare of your discharges for MS-DRGs assigned on the bases of only one CC or MCC being coded on the claim.

RealTime Medicare Data

Another potential resource is our sister company, RealTime Medicare Data (RTMD). RTMD collects over 1.2 billion Medicare claims annually from 48 states and the District of Columbia, and allows for searching of over 10 billion historical claims and counting.

One report available in their suite of Inpatient Hospital reports is a One Day Stay Report. Similar to the OIGs definition of short stays, this report excludes claims with a discharge status for Expired (20), left against medical advice (07), hospice (50 & 51) and /or were transferred to another Acute care facility (02). This report enables a hospital to view one day stay paid claims data by DRG and Physician to direct where audits should be focused.

Another report available is a DRG Severity Report that can help you trend your mix of claims coded to MS-DRGs with MCC, with CC, and without CC/MCC respectively. This report provides a compare to your state, your defined market and specific hospitals within your defined market.

For further information on all that RTMD has to offer you can visit their website at https://rtmd.org.

This week we highlight key updates spanning from February 23rd through March 2nd, 2020.

Resource Spotlight: VaccineFinder

According to the CDC, “VaccineFinder is a free, online service where users can search for pharmacies and providers that offer vaccination. Information about where COVID-19 vaccines are available is provided directly by pharmacies and providers, in collaboration with states, and is updated daily. VaccineFinder is operated by Boston Children’s Hospital, in partnership with CDC.”

At this time VaccineFinder is launching in four states and will expand information for additional states in the coming weeks. If information is not yet available where you live, the CDC has advised that you visit your state health department’s website. Links to State and Territorial Health Department websites are available on the CDC website.  

February 24, 2021: FDA’s New Webpage: COVID-19 Vaccination & the Food and Agriculture Sector

The FDA launched this new webpage to provide information for the food and agriculture sector about the following:

• Safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the FDA,
• Benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, and
• Information about the availability of vaccines in your community.

February 25, 2021: FDA Flexibilities for Storing Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

In an FDA Bulletin, the FDA announced their decision to allow “undiluted frozen vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to be transported and stored at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to two weeks.” This announcement includes an updated Fact Sheet for Health Providers Administering Vaccine.

February 26, 2021: FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee working towards Emergency Use Authorization for Janssen Biotech Inc. COVID-19 Vaccine

Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. and Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research announced in an FDA bulletin that “Following today’s positive advisory committee meeting outcome regarding the Janssen Biotech Inc. COVID-19 Vaccine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has informed the sponsor that it will rapidly work toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization. The agency has also notified our federal partners involved in vaccine allocation and distribution so they can execute their plans for timely vaccine distribution.”

February 27, 2020: Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Granted Emergency Use Authorization

A little over twenty four hours after the FDA’s Vaccine Advisory Committee met they published a bulletin announcing emergency use authorization for the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older. “The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is manufactured using a specific type of virus called adenovirus type 26 (Ad26). The vaccine uses Ad26 to deliver a piece of the DNA, or genetic material that is used to make the distinctive “spike” protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While adenoviruses are a group of viruses that are relatively common, Ad26, which can cause cold symptoms and pink eye, has been modified for the vaccine so that it cannot replicate in the human body to cause illness. After a person receives this vaccine, the body can temporarily make the spike protein, which does not cause disease, but triggers the immune system to learn to react defensively, producing an immune response against SARS-CoV-2.”

February 27, 2020: Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Press Release

Johnson & Johnson announced the EUA for their vaccine indicating that the “vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease across all regions studies, and showed protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination.” Unique to this COVID-19 vaccine, it is a single shot vaccine. Side effects that have been reported with the vaccine include:

• Injection site reactions: pain, redness of the skin, and swelling
• General side effects: headache, feeling very tired, muscle aches, nausea, and fever.

Johnson & Johnson indicates that the company has already started shipping the vaccine and “expects to deliver enough single-shot vaccines by the end of March to enable the full vaccination of more than 20 million people in the U.S.”

March 1, 2021: CMS COVID-19 Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies Webpage

CMS continues to add to this webpage as additional COVID-19 vaccines and certain monoclonal antibodies receive Emergency Use Authorization. On this page you will find tables for COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibodies detailing the code, CPT descriptor, the vaccine/procedure name, payment allowance and effective dates. There is also a wealth of information available in the Additional Resources section. Most recently added is a Medicare Monoclonal Antibody COVID-19 Infusion Program Instruction download.  This webpage was last modified on March 1, 2021 to include information about the new Janssen COVID-19 vaccine by Johnson & Johnson. I encourage you to check this webpage often for updates.

March 1, 2021: Quidel QuickVue At-Home COVID-19 Test

The FDA issued a EUA for the Quidel QuickVue At-Home COVID-19 Test. Specifically, The QuickVue At-Home COVID-19 Test is authorized for prescription home use with self-collected anterior nasal (nares) swabs from individuals ages 14 and older or individuals ages 8 and older with swabs collected by an adult. The test is authorized for individuals suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider within the first six days of symptom onset.”

March 2, 2021: CDC Call – What Clinicians Need to Know about Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine

The CDC hosted a Clinical Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call on March 2nd to provide clinicians an overview of the J&J Janssen COVID-19 vaccine including vaccine characteristics and administration, vaccinating special populations, and contraindications. You can access call materials from this presentation on the CDC website.