We wanted to share an update from the Department of US Health and Human Services around policies related to allocation, distribution, and administration efforts surrounding the current monoclonal antibody therapeutics available to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beginning Monday, September 13th HHS made a change to their distribution process to coordinate through a state/territory-coordinated system. The intent of this change is to maintain equitable distribution, both geographically and temporally providing states and territories with consistent, fairly distributed supply over the coming weeks and while the USG works to procure additional supply. Key to this change is that administration site (i.e. providers) will not be able to order mAbs directly from the distributor and must work with their state/territory to access the supply.
Weekly distribution amounts will be determined based on weekly reports of new COVID 19 cases and hospitalizations in addition to data on inventories. Weekly distribution determinations posted on phe.gov/mabs.
Author: Horizon Professional Services
HHS Announced 60 Day Grace Period for PRF Reporting
In addition to making $25.5 billion in new funding available for health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in light of the challenges providers across the country are facing due to recent natural disasters and the Delta variant, HHS (Department of Health & Human Services) announced Friday a final 60-day grace period to help providers come into compliance with their PRF Reporting requirements if they fail to meet the deadline on September 30, 2021, for the first PRF Reporting Time Period. While the deadlines to use funds and the Reporting Time Period will not change, HHS will not initiate collection activities or similar enforcement actions for noncompliant providers during this grace period.
New Provider Relief Funds available – $25.5 billion
The Biden-Harris Administration announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is making $25.5 billion in new funding available for health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding includes $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) resources for providers who serve rural Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or Medicare patients, and an additional $17 billion for Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 for a broad range of providers who can document revenue loss and expenses associated with the pandemic. View the press release for the PRF Phase 4 here. For more information on eligibility requirements and the application process for PRF Phase 4 and ARP Rural payments, visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief/future-payments.
NRHA Events Going Virtual
As an organization serving and consisting of public health leaders, NRHA has a responsibility to abide by and serve as a model for proper health precautions. That is why we have made the difficult decision to shift the association’s Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences to a virtual environment.
The fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting harder than anyone expected. While Delta variant forecasts are difficult to project, the situation is unlikely to improve between now and this fall.
For these reasons, we ask for your patience as we transition our RHC and CAH Conferences away from our plans to host in Kansas City. As usual, you can register for these events at reduced virtual rates, and all content will be available Sept. 21-24 and on demand at your convenience for a full year.
At NRHA, the health and well-being of our members and all rural Americans is our top priority. We do not want to risk contributing to the spread of this deadly virus, and we don’t want to place rural health care workers, hospitals, and health systems under any more pressure than they already face.
We know it is not ideal, but virtual events allow NRHA to present – and you to experience – even more educational content than at an in-person event. NRHA will utilize the same platform as our 2021 Annual Rural Health Conference, by far our most intuitive and seamless virtual environment.
Though this is certainly not what any of us had planned, we look forward to seeing everyone virtually this fall. Rural America is nothing if not resourceful, and together we will continue to overcome the challenges we face.
How RHCs Should Be Reimbursed for Monoclonal Antibody Infusions
We have received several calls and e-mails in the last few weeks regarding monoclonal antibody infusions in the rural health clinic setting. Tommy Barnhart with the National Rural Health Association provided this breakdown of MA injection reimbursement.
Click here to view a CMS transmittal for freestanding RHCs issued 4/30/21 effective for cost reports ending after 3/31/2021.
Among other things, it adds lines on Worksheet A specific to Covid vaccine administration (line 31.10) and monoclonal antibody (line 31.11) expenses and new columns on Worksheet B-1 to calculate reimbursement. The calculation is similar to flu and pneumonia and reimbursed through the cost report in addition to the AIR. For Covid and monoclonal antibody, this includes Medicare Advantage in addition to traditional Medicare. As with flu and pneumonia, there is no method to bill the MAC for these services. Hospital forms have not been adjusted yet but expect those to be done likewise soon. FQHC forms have been updated similar to freestanding RHC.
Alabama Rural Health Association 