The meeting documents from the May 12, 2020 Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) meeting were recently released. The documents include the transcript, Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) slide presentation that was included in their update, and a PowerPoint presentation on the 2019 Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey results.
On May 1, 2020, Governor Wolf announced that 24 counties from the northwest and north-central regions of Pennsylvania would be moving from red phase to yellow phase beginning Friday, May 8, 2020 as part of the Wolf administration’s process to reopen PA. This marks a reduction in some restrictions on work and social interactions. However, restrictions related to congregate care settings remain in place.
The following counties moved from red phase to yellow phase on May 8, 2020: Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango, and Warren.
These counties were deemed ready to move to the yellow phase because of low per-capita case counts, the ability to conduct contact tracing and testing, and appropriate population density to contain community spread.
OLTL Services in Counties the Governor Declares in the Yellow Phase
Moving from the red phase to the yellow phase does not change any guidance that has been issued by OLTL or the Community HealthChoices (CHC) managed care organizations (MCO). All conditions outlined in the guidance noted below continue to apply to each provider category.
| Home and Community-Based Services | CHC Waiver Operational Guidance and the OBRA Waiver Operational Guidance including remote initial level of care assessments, Service Coordinator contacts, person-centered service plan development and provision of service. |
| Nursing Facilities
|
Clarification Guidance for Pennsylvania Pre-Admission Screening Resident Review (PASRR), the Interim Guidance on Visitation in Nursing Facilities During COVID-19, and Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention |
| Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) | LIFE Provider Guidance Related to COVID-19 |
| Assisted Living Residences and Personal Care Homes | Interim Guidance on Visitation in Nursing Facilities During COVID-19,the Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention, the Guidance Suspending and Restricting License Requirements for Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences, and Visitation Restrictions in Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences |
Providers are encouraged to continue to monitor the Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 website for the most up-to-date DOH guidance on COVID-19, the Department of Human Services (DHS) COVID-19 website for the most up-to-date DHS guidance on COVID-19, and Governor Wolf’s website for responding to COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.
OLTL will continue to evaluate the steps necessary to address the Governor’s plan to reopen PA and communicate updated guidance as the situation evolves.
If you have questions about the information in this ListServ email, please contact the OLTL Provider Helpline at 800-932-0939.
Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated information on recent actions and resources specific to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CMS Continues to release waivers for the health care community that provide flexibilities needed to take care of patients during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The additional blanket waivers are provided here.
CMS updated a video that answers commonly asked questions about the expanded Medicare telehealth services benefit.
They also published an MLN Matters article which provides information for pharmacies and other suppliers that wish to enroll in Medicare temporarily as independent clinical diagnostic laboratories, to assist with addressing needs for COVID-19 testing.
Additional flexibilities offered to states to address the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to the following waivers, a toolkit was developed to expedite the application and review of each request.
Late this afternoon, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance to inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) that provides additional clarification on flexibilities being afforded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and also confirms that team meetings can be performed virtually. CMS will allow all forms of social distancing precautions when holding interdisciplinary team meetings and stressed electronic or virtual team meetings would be the safest during this pandemic.
In addition to CMS exercising their regulatory flexibility to waive the 60 percent rule, they are also waiving IRF coverage and classification requirements if the following criteria are satisfied:
CMS also provides additional information on the codes that should be used when IRFs are utilizing flexibilities that CMS has issued. CMS directs IRFs to add the following letters at the end of the unique hospital patient identification number (or medical record number in the IRF) to identify the patients eligible for each waiver:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will conduct weekly calls that focus on COVID-19 and lessons from the front lines. Two calls have been scheduled for May 1 and May 8 (from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm) and are a joint effort between CMS Administrator, Seema Verma; Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Stephen Hahn, MD; and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, along with physicians and other clinicians. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences, ideas, strategies, and insights related to your COVID-19 response. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.
To Participate on May 1:
To Participate on May 8:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) released a new COVID-19 Healthcare Workforce toolkit. The toolkit includes a variety of resources and tools for decision-makers managing health care challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The toolkit builds on the steps that CMS has taken to ensure health care facilities are fully staffed and equipped to treat COVID-19 patients as efficiently as possible. It also provides up-to-date best practices so that state and local health care decision makers have a resource to know what’s been implemented in the field and to find out how it’s working. The toolkit includes an assistance center, information exchange of case studies, and additional peer-to-peer communications.
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