COVID-19 Medicare FFS Billing

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published and continues to update an expansive frequently asked questions (FAQ) document on COVID-19 Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) billing. The document contains discrete sections for each provider type and covers issues ranging from specimen collection fees to telehealth billing codes.

While not providing much additional detail, the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Services portion of the FAQs does address waiver flexibility, confirming that the 3-day qualifying hospital stay waiver applies to all SNF-level beneficiaries under Medicare Part A, regardless of whether the care the beneficiary requires has a direct relationship to COVID-19. It also notes that a patient with a continued skilled care need (such as a feeding tube) that is unrelated to the COVID-19 emergency cannot renew his or her SNF benefits under the waiver, as it is this continued skilled care in the SNF rather than the emergency that is preventing the beneficiary from beginning the 60-day wellness period.

The FAQs also formally remind Medicare providers that CMS has extended cost report due dates for all provider types based on the chart below.

To view the entire CMS FAQ document, which was most recently updated on April 26^th, click here.

Contact: Ken Allison, kallison@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8820