On April 27, 2020 Governor Greg Abbott announced in a press release the first phase of the State of Texas plan to safely and strategically open Texas while minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Details outlining phase one can be found in the Texans Helping Texans: The Governor’s Report to Open Texas, along with checklists that outline the Texas Department of State Health Services’ (TDSHS) minimum standard health protocols for all businesses and individuals to follow. In response to p...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued temporary amendments to the home health and hospice regulations to allow the use of telecommunications technology in conjunction with home visits. The use of telecommunications technology must be related to the services being furnished and must be included on the plan of care, along with a description of how it will help to achieve the goals on the plan of care, without serving as a substitute for a visit ordered on the...
“The [US] Department [of Labor] is promulgating regulations to implement public health emergency leave under Title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and emergency paid sick leave to assist working families facing public health emergencies arising out of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The leave provisions are created by a time-limited statutory authority established under the FFCRA [Families First Coronavirus Response Act] and are set to expire on December 31, 2020. The t...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued temporary regulatory waivers and new rules to equip the American healthcare system with maximum flexibility to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to these changes, HealthCare ConsultLink (HCL) has created an interim-procedures change policy, EP.1 Emergency Policy Changes, and a form for the documentation of Temporary Emergency Policy Changes & Staff Acknowledgment. These documents have been created to respond to ...