At the onset of the COVID-19 PHE, CMS was permitted to issue several temporary emergency statutory and regulatory waivers to help providers appropriately respond to the pandemic. On May 1, 2023, the Secretary released a memo...more
5/11/2023
/ Acute Facilities ,
Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Home Health Care ,
Hospice ,
Hospitals ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Mental Health ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Waivers
On November 4, 2021, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to protect employees of large employers in all industries from COVID-19. The Centers for...more
11/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deadlines ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Workers ,
OSHA ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
In a recent letter to state governors, Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Norris Cochran signaled the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) commitment to “predictability and stability” in the ongoing...more
On January 11, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new web portal to more easily permit healthcare providers and other stakeholders to submit requests for specific waivers of certain healthcare...more
On September 28, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Quality, Safety and Oversight Group memorandum (QSO-20-41-ALL) (the QSO Memo) reinforcing and clarifying the testing exercises required by...more
On August 17, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in a memo to State Survey Agency Directors (QSO-20-35-ALL) the resumption of certain routine surveys and inspections of healthcare providers...more
8/20/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CLIA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Inspections ,
Nursing Homes ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Plan of Correction ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Suppliers ,
Surveys
In an announcement welcomed by many healthcare providers, on July 23, 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced that the COVID-19 public health emergency would be extended 90 days, through October 23,...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued blanket waivers under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act (Section 1135 waivers) on April 30, 2020. Fast on the heels of a more modest waiver announcement on...more
5/7/2020
/ 1135 Waivers ,
CARES Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Hospice ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
OCR ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act and made an emergency determination under the Stafford Act. This announcement follows the January 31, 2020,...more