CMS temporarily suspends some Medicare requirements for hurricane-stricken hospitals
Joint Commission also suspending surveys of hurricane affect hospitals temporarily
CMS Administrator Seema Verma announced the agency is temporarily suspending certain Medicare requirements for healthcare providers assisting with Hurricane Irma recovery efforts in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Joint Commission also announced that it would be suspending survey activities in the affected areas for the time being.
At the moment, CMS is waiving the following enrollment requirements:
• Payment of the application fee
• Fingerprint-based criminal background checks
• Site visits
• In-state licensure requirements
“CMS is dedicated to making it as easy as possible for the individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Irma to access medical care during this difficult time,” said Verma. “There are healthcare providers and suppliers in the aftermath of the hurricane that are ready and willing to help. CMS has established a hotline for providers and temporarily suspended certain Medicare requirements so that these healthcare professionals can provide services to those in need.”
The toll-free hotline she’s referring to is for non-certified Medicare Part B providers and other practitioners so they can enroll in federal health programs and receive temporary Medicare billing privileges. First Cost Service Option, a Medicare Administrative Contractor, will work to assist providers in these areas to temporarily enroll healthcare providers. The number is 855-247-8428, and it’s in service between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET
Starting September 18, 2017, providers will be able to initiate temporary Medicare billing privileges over the phone and on the same day. In addition, CMS is:
• Allowing providers not currently enrolled to initiate temporary billing privileges by providing limited information. This information includes (but isn’t limited), National Provider Identifier (NPI), Social Security Number (SSN) or a business Employer Identification Number taxpayer identification numbers (SSN/EIN/TIN), and valid in-state or out-of-state licensure.
• Temporarily ceasing revalidation efforts for Medicare providers in areas directly impacted by Hurricane Irma.
• Waiving the practice location reporting requirements
• Not taking administrative actions on providers who fail to notify them about their temporary practice location. This temporary process will remain in effect from September 7 until the disaster designation is lifted. After that, it must be reported through appropriate channels.
“CMS will continue to work with all states and geographic areas in the path of hurricanes Irma and Harvey,” according to the press release. “The agency continues to update its emergency page (www.cms.gov/emergency) with important information for state and local officials, providers, healthcare facilities, suppliers and the public.”
To read previous updates regarding HHS activities related to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey, please visit https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/hurricane-response/index.html.