In late January 2020, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a public health emergency declaration. Several payment policies and regulatory adjustments are attached to the public health emergency, including the Medicare inpatient 20% add-on payment, Medicaid matching rates, requirements that insurers and health plans cover COVID-19 testing without cost-sharing, and waivers of telehealth restrictions. [...]
There is little doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental well-being of many Americans. In addition to dealing with fear of the virus and social isolation, economic pressures have continued to grow. Many who have continued to work have been forced to balance working remotely with caring for children who [...]
If you’ve had COVID-19 in the past, or suspect that you have, you may want to get an antibody test, which tests your blood serum to check for your body’s response to an infection. If you decide to proceed with an antibody test, make sure the test is authorized for FDA emergency use and speak [...]
A new report released by financial services firm Alera Group shows that few, if any, sectors of our economy have avoided damage by COVID-19. One area that has suffered terribly includes food growers, packers and suppliers that typically serve restaurants, schools and other commercial facilities. Other sectors hit hardest include construction, higher education, healthcare, hospitality [...]
With summer comes outdoor activities and plenty of fresh air. But really, how fresh is the air we breathe if we’re wearing a mask? When asked this question in a recent Facebook Live event, a specialist in charge of infectious disease at a Midwest-based healthcare system said wearing a mask outside is fine and there’s [...]
With businesses operating remotely and personnel working from home, it’s easy to miss certain important deadlines in this COVID-19 era, such as providing your COBRA Administrator with timely termination of coverage notices so that employees who have a COBRA qualifying event, such as termination of employment or reduction of hours, receive COBRA Election notices within [...]
There are many concerns that cause top executives to lose sleep, but the events of the past couple months have tested business owners and decision makers in ways that can only be described as unprecedented. The uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus coupled with a burning desire to get back to business have created an increasingly dynamic [...]
When President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act into law in mid-March, employers with fewer than 500 employees became responsible for providing paid leave to certain employees through Dec. 31, 2020. The benefit extends to employees unable to work or telework due to the need for leave to care for a son or [...]
According to the CDC, the Coronavirus is thought to spread mainly through being close enough to an infected person to be touched by respiratory droplets discharged by coughing, sneezing or talking. These droplets can land in the mouth or nose or be inhaled into the lungs. Physicians suggest the virus can spread very easily between [...]
Uninsured people needing medical treatment for the coronavirus will be able to get that treatment without concerns about out-of-pocket costs or unexpected charges. Thanks to the federal stimulus package passed by Congress in early April, hospitals and healthcare providers that treat these folks will be paid for unreimbursed care at current Medicare rates. While the [...]
