June 27th COVID-19 Update
New updates pertaining to COVID-19 continue to be announced by both the state and federal government on a regular basis. The latest developments for providers of long-term/post-acute care (LTPAC) and senior services are reviewed below.
As a reminder, LeadingAge NY continues to convene weekly webinars on Mondays at 11 a.m. to address emerging questions on COVID-19. A recording of our most recent webinar, held on June 26th, is available here, and a list of the items shared by LeadingAge NY staff in the webinar chat can be accessed here. Please note that there will be no webinar next week due to the July 4th holiday; we will return with a new update on Mon., July 10th at 11 a.m. If you have questions in the meantime or would like the access information for these webinars, please contact Jeff Diamond.
Cross-Sector Updates
Governor Signs Legislation Enabling Temporary Authorization of Licensure Applications for Out-of-State RNs, LPNs, and Physicians
Governor Hochul signed legislation last week establishing a pathway to temporarily authorize licensed out-of-state and in good standing registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and physicians during current workforce shortages. The Governor let expire Executive Order (EO) 4, which established flexibilities to address health care workforce shortages. Those flexibilities are no longer allowed under the law. Click here for more information.
DOH Issues New Resources on End of Continuous Medicaid Eligibility
In recent months, Medicaid eligibility renewals that were suspended during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency have resumed. In order to avoid unnecessary loss of health coverage due to eligibility paperwork, the Department of Health (DOH) has sought federal approval of various strategies to automate and streamline renewals and is raising awareness among Medicaid beneficiaries of the need to pay attention to renewal notices when they arrive.
Information about the renewal process is available in two sets of technical Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for providers, focusing on various eligibility categories, here and here. As previously reported here, DOH also hosted a webinar for nursing homes on the redetermination process and net available monthly income (NAMI).
Medicaid providers and aging services organizations can help to spread the word among the people they serve. To assist in these efforts, DOH has released a communications toolkit with information for consumers in various formats and languages.
Reporting Window for Federal Relief Funding Opens July 1st
The fifth reporting period for COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural funding begins July 1st and ends Sept. 30th. Providers who received combined funding in excess of $10,000 in the second half of Calendar Year (CY) 2022 are required to report on the use of the funds. Members are reminded that coverage of lost revenue incurred after June 30th will no longer be a permissible use of COVID-19 funding. The reporting portal is here, and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Relief Funding reporting page is here. An article from LeadingAge National detailing reporting changes is available here. While reporting requirements will continue, the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (i.e., debt ceiling extension agreement) and related rescission of program funds means that no further payments, including reconsideration payments, will be made to providers under PRF and the ARP Rural Distribution.