Kepro BFCC-QIO Services
During the current COVID-19 situation, the Kepro BFCC-QIO services continue to be available. Please note the fax number for Kepro BFCC-QIO Regions 1, 4, 6 (includes Texas), 8, and 10, recently changed to 844-878-7921. If the agency is located in any other region, please use the map located on Kepro or Livanta websites to determine the appropriate fax number to use. NOTE: In order to develop the necessary updates for the online policy manuals, HealthCare ConsultLink (HCL) will continue to monitor the Kepro and Livanta BFCC-QIO websites for the most current information.

Secretary Azar Announces Extension of Public Health Emergency
HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced on Thursday, July 23 that he is renewing the determination of the public health emergency, effective July 25.

What does this mean for 1135 waivers?
The most recently published list of 1135 waivers (7/29/2020) remains in effect. The most notable difference is the removal of the Target, Probe, & Educate (TPE) and other audits from the 1135 waiver list. These types of audits will begin again on August 3, 2020, regardless of the public health emergency status.

Per Palmetto, CMS will restart the RCD following the pause for COVID-19
The end date for the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) Cycle 1 for Texas providers has been updated due to the COVID-19 pause. Home health claims in all demonstration states with billing periods on or after August 31, 2020, will be subject to review under the requirements of the choice selected. In Texas, Cycle 1 began on March 2, 2020, and was paused after one month. The remaining five months of the Cycle will begin on August 31, 2020, and end on January 31, 2021. For providers who continued to submit pre-claim review (PCR) requests during the pause, those decisions will be included in their Cycle 1 affirmation rate. Palmetto has published the updated cycles for the providers in Texas.