CARES Act allows NP home care orders!

Important Legislative updates from AANP:

The recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act:

- Permanently authorizes NPs, PAs, and CNSs to certify home health care for Medicare beneficiaries, and requires regulations to be implemented no later than 6 months of the bill being signed into law. These changes are applied to Medicaid as well. AANP is working with CMS to try and expedite this process!!!!!

 -All private insurance plans must cover COVID-19 testing without cost-sharing to the beneficiary

-Removes the requirement under the first COVID-19 package that required a Medicare beneficiary to have seen a health care provider within the last 3 years in order to remove the current law requirements on telehealth, such as the originating site requirement. This provides greater flexibility for Medicare beneficiaries to use telehealth with new providers and allows newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries to also take advantage of these telehealth services. These provisions only apply during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

-Makes changes to the Older Americans Act to allow eligible persons to receive the meals if homebound due to social distancing, waives nutrition requirements during the COVID-19 public health emergency so seniors can receive food if certain food options are not available

-Includes a provision encouraging HHS to use telecommunication systems for home health care services during this emergency period, including remote patient monitoring.

-AANP summary of the health provisions contained in the Act.

AANP  created a standalone telehealth webpage.

Additional Telehealth Resources Long Term Care Nursing Homes Telehealth Tool Kit

My sincere gratitude for all NPs caring for patients in unique ways (telehealth in under 2 weeks!) and those on the frontlines (hospital & ED). I cannot thank you enough for your dedication to the practice and to our patients & communities. I am humbled to serve along with you. Natalie Mohammad, ASMNP President