No Insurance Needed for COVID-19 Visits

President Trump is providing support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The President signed the bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act or FFCRA (P.L. 116-127), which appropriates $1 billion to reimburse providers for conducting COVID-19 testing for the uninsured, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136), which provides $100 billion in relief funds, including to hospitals and other health care providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. Within the Provider Relief Fund, a portion of the funding will be used to support healthcare-related expenses attributable to the treatment of uninsured individuals with COVID-19.

About the program

As part of the FFCRA and CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will provide claims reimbursement to health care providers generally at Medicare rates for testing uninsured individuals for COVID-19 and treating uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Physicians and other health care providers are true heroes – especially during the COVID-19 outbreak – and HHS is grateful for their continued dedication.

How it works

Health care providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing or provided treatment for uninsured COVID-19 individuals on or after February 4, 2020 can request claims reimbursement through the program electronically and will be reimbursed generally at Medicare rates, subject to available funding. Steps will involve: enrolling as a provider participant, checking patient eligibility, submitting patient information, submitting claims, and receiving payment via direct deposit.

To participate, providers must attest to the following at registration:

  • You have checked for health care coverage eligibility and confirmed that the patient is uninsured. You have verified that the patient does not have coverage such as individual, employer-sponsored, Medicare or Medicaid coverage, and no other payer will reimburse you for COVID-19 testing and/or care for that patient
  • You will accept defined program reimbursement as payment in full.
  • You agree not to balance bill the patient.
  • You agree to program terms and conditions and may be subject to post-reimbursement audit review.

Program timeline

  • April 22 – Program Details launch
  • April 27 – Sign up period begins for the program
  • April 29 – On Demand training starts
  • May 6 – Begin submitting claims electronically
  • Mid-May – Begin receiving reimbursement

For whom can claims be submitted

Providers may submit claims for individuals in the U.S. without health care coverage.

What’s covered

For dates of service or admittance on or after February 4, 2020, providers will be eligible to seek reimbursement for COVID-19 testing and testing-related visits for uninsured individuals, as well as treatment for uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis. All claims will be subject to the same timely filing requirements required by Medicare.

Reimbursement will be made for: qualifying testing for COVID-19 and treatment services with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, including the following:

  • Specimen collection, diagnostic and antibody testing.
  • Testing-related visits including in the following settings: office, urgent care or emergency room or via telehealth.
  • Treatment, including office visit (including via telehealth), emergency room, inpatient, outpatient/observation, skilled nursing facility, long-term acute care (LTAC), acute inpatient rehab, home health, DME (e.g., oxygen, ventilator), emergency ground ambulance transportation, non-emergent patient transfers via ground ambulance, and FDA approved drugs as they become available for COVID-19 treatment and administered as part of an inpatient stay.
  • FDA-approved vaccine, when available.
  • For inpatient claims, date of admittance must be on or after February 4, 2020.

Services not covered by traditional Medicare will also not be covered under this program. In addition, the following services are excluded:

  • Any treatment without a COVID-19 primary diagnosis, except for pregnancy when the COVID-19 code may be listed as secondary.
  • Hospice services.
  • Outpatient prescription drugs.

All claims submitted must be complete and final.

Make an appointment today at 978-521-6555! If you’re worried you might have the Coronavirus, call the office immediately.

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