Staff Contact: Daniel Landon

Earlier this week, Congress enacted a massive package of legislation to create stable federal spending authority and provide various types of pandemic relief. It addresses many of the advocacy requests of Missouri hospitals. The 5,593-page legislation has many components relating to COVID-19 response. Among them, the new law allocates $3 billion more in provider relief funds and $30 billion more to support COVID-19 vaccination; restores favorable repayment standards for the Provider Relief Fund; extends and augments the Paycheck Protection Program; provides $22 billion to states for testing, tracing and mitigation; continues the waiver of the Medicare sequester during the public health emergency; and gives states an additional year to spend their federal COVID-19 relief funds. The latter will enable continued state funding of workforce recruitment and other programs in 2021. MHA thanks U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, and many of Missouri’s U.S. House members for their work on behalf of Missouri’s hospitals.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services added a number of questions to the CARES Act Provider Relief Payment FAQs. The additions, which were updated on Dec. 18, address questions about 1099 issuances.

• Additions:
  • Will I receive a Form 1099?
  • When will my Form 1099 be available?
  • Who do I contact if I have questions regarding my Form 1099?

Staff Contact: Jane Drummond

In light of recent questions relating to high rates for temporary hospital staff, MHA prepared an analysis of Missouri laws on price gouging. Consumer protection laws generally do not reach competition on wage rates, absent attempts to inappropriately influence market forces.

Staff Contact: Andrew Wheeler

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released an interim final rule that establishes the new COVID-19 treatments add-on payment under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System. The NCTAP would be effective from Nov. 2, 2020, until the end of the public health emergency for COVID-19.  The NCTAP would be an enhanced payment for eligible inpatient cases that involve the use of certain new products to treat COVID-19. The NCTAP is the lesser of 65% of the operating outlier threshold for the claim or 65% of the amount by which the costs of the case exceed the standard diagnosis-related group payment.

Staff Contact: Sarah Willson

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released new guidance for psychiatric hospitals — Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities — to improve their infection control and prevention practices. The infection control and prevention guidance is presented as an FAQs document aimed at reducing the use of seclusion and restraint as primary modalities for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and improving the overall discharge planning process for behavioral health patients. The guidance to state surveyors is effective immediately.

Staff Contact: Mary Becker

The ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases means that even with the hope brought by the vaccine, Missourians must continue to isolate to keep the rate of new infections under control. Combined with the winter months and holidays, feelings of loneliness and isolation are likely to increase. This infographic, released yesterday in partnership with the Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare and Missouri Department of Mental Health, highlights the numbers of Missourians who are suffering from issues associated with loneliness and explores its impact on health. Key strategies also are identified to help combat loneliness and social isolation.

Please feel free to share widely.

Staff Contact: Meghan Henderson or Jackie Gatz

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the second vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. The EUA allows the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. for use in individuals 18 years of age and older. To assist providers in the administration of this vaccine, an EUA fact sheet for health care providers and patients is available. In addition, the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services provided a standing order for administration of this vaccine.

DHSS also updated the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine standing order. Copies of the most current standing order always are available on the DHSS statewide orders web page.

Staff Contact: Jane Drummond

MHA prepared a fact sheet summarizing recent guidance by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on administration of COVID-19 vaccines. The guidance addresses the application of employment laws to vaccine administration in the workplace and the ability of employers to mandate employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Staff Contact: Meghan Henderson or Jackie Gatz

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine’s Coronavirus Resource Center now features a vaccine tracker, which includes information on the number of doses administered by state. Although not yet available in Missouri, vaccine data availability will expand as more U.S. states make data available, vaccines are approved and consistent data standards are established.

Staff Contact: Mary Becker

Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare announced yesterday that they began administering COVID-19 vaccines to front-line workers, including providers, nurses, respiratory therapists and other support staff. One of the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at GVMH was Dr. Jamie Ball, pediatrician, who said, “I did it to help protect our patients and everyone I care about.”

Staff Contact: Sarah Willson or Shawn Billings

The Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Coalition For Community Behavioral Healthcare and the Missouri Crisis Intervention Team Council developed free mental health resources with funds from a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant.

The First Responder Provider Network is a list of trained behavioral health professionals who specialize in helping dedicated first responders who are struggling with issues related to trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Network is expanding their service offering for health care professionals (i.e., direct care staff) who have been impacted by COVID-19 and either live or work in Missouri. Police are not included in this grant, though EMS, 911 operators and hospital staff are included.

The behavioral health services are with licensed mental health professionals. If a grant patient has insurance, the grant will cover any co-pays or deductibles so that they have no out-of-pocket cost. If a grant patient does not want their insurance billed for any reason, their entire session cost will be billed to the grant. It is likely that the services will be offered via telehealth since the enlisted providers are located throughout the state. Contact the First Responder Provider Network for additional details.