U.S. House Approves Amendment Supporting 340B Providers
On Tuesday, the U.S. House approved bipartisan language “to highlight the need to protect the integrity of the 340B program by halting pharmaceutical manufacturers' unlawful actions that have resulted in overcharges to 340B covered entities.” Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and David McKinley (R-W.V.) sponsored the amendment to the appropriations package that includes Labor, Health and Human Services and Education funding to express Congressional disapproval at pharmaceutical companies that have taken negative action against 340B contract pharmacies. Thank you to everyone who reached out in support of this measure! H.R. 4502, the seven-bill minibus appropriations package, included $1.8 billion for the Health Center Program, an increase of $148 million from FY21.
Marketplace Special Enrollment Period Ends August 15
The HealthCare.Gov Marketplace enrollment period ends August 15, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released several new resources to help organizations promote the final weeks of enrollment. Nearly 30,000 Oklahomans have enrolled during this Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Consumers who received or who are approved to receive unemployment compensation for any week in 2021 may be able to find even lower cost plans and save extra money on out-of-pocket expenses through HealthCare.gov. Check out their new Summer Sprint Partner Toolkit which includes updated messaging an social media posts.
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposal Includes FQHC Telehealth Expansion
The annual Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposal contains several provisions that, if finalized, would expand the types of services for which health centers can be reimbursed. These proposals include:
- Reimbursing FQHCs for behavioral health visits provided via audio-only, as long as the provider has the capacity to offer a video component and the patient has chosen to receive services via audio-only.
- Allowing FQHCs to bill for Transitional Care Management (TCM) and other care management services (e.g., Chronic Care Management Services) for the same patient during the same service period, provided all requirements for billing each code are met.
- Currently, FQHCs may not bill for TCM services for a beneficiary if another practitioner or facility has already billed for CCM services for the same beneficiary during the same time.
- This change would be consistent with a policy change made for fee schedule providers in 2020.
- Paying for attending physician services furnished by FQHCs to hospice patients.
- This type of payment was required under the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, and CMS is proposing to update the regulations to reflect it.
- Payment will be made at the FQHC PPS rate.
Comments on this proposed regulation are due on September 13. NACHC will draft and circulate a set of template comments for health centers to submit to express their support for these proposals.
Tax Credits for Health Centers Offering Paid Leave to Get Vaccinated
The American Rescue Plan allows small and midsize employers to claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees due to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations. These tax credits are available to eligible employers for wages paid for sick and family leave from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021. The tax credit for paid sick leave is available for up to two weeks, limited to $511 per day and $5,110 in the aggregate, at 100 percent of the employee's regular rate of pay. The tax credit for paid family leave wages is available for up to twelve weeks, limited to $200 per day and $12,000 in the aggregate, at two-thirds of the employee's regular rate of pay.
OSDA Emergency Temporary Standard Becomes Effective
On June 10, 2021, OSHA published an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) in response to President Biden's Executive Order prioritizing the health and safety of workers. The standard outlines requirements to increase COVID-19 safety precautions in health care settings, including CHCs. Please review a summary highlighting relevant guidance for CHCs. The National Association of Community Health Centers has confirmed with OSHA that CHCs are not exempt from the ETS. Join NACHC and Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell on Thursday, August 5 for a webinar on COVID-19 safety precautions that recognize workforce fatigue. NACHC will provide insight on finding the appropriate balance between regulatory requirements and workforce capacity. Please register here. A Template for developing an OSHA COVID Compliance Plan, prepared by OSHA, is available for health centers to use when developing or assessing their plan for compliance.
Updated Video on Oklahoma Community Health Centers
An updated video is now available for community health centers, advocates, and partners to use to explain what community health centers are, who they serve, and what they do! OKPCA members can embed this on their websites, share it on social media, show it in their lobbies, and use as they please!
Community health centers serve over 275,000 Oklahomans at over 120 sites, providing high-quality, whole-person care and shaping the future of health care delivery. Watch the video today!
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