Alliance COVID-19 Response and Guidance

The rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic has hospitals and acute care facilities changing standard operating procedures to prepare for the expected influx of infected patients. As a result, wound care services, procedures and surgeries are undergoing considerable change. The Alliance is staying on top of these issues and responding when wound care is threatened. In addition, we will keep you up-to-date on new policies, challenges and opportunities for our community.

Position statement:

Wound Care is an Essential, Not Elective, Service that Prevents Hospital Admissions and ED Visits Among a Fragile Cohort of Patients at High-Risk of COVID-19 

RESOURCES & POLICY UPDATES FOR WOUND CARE PROVIDERS:

CMS Official Documents Related to COVID-19 Waivers & Flexibilities

• CMS Revised Interim Final Rule released April 30, 2020

• CMS Pages on COVID-19     

• • HHS Extends Determination of Public Health Emergency (April 21, 2021) 
  • Current Emergency Page on Coronavirus
  • Coronavirus Waivers and Flexibilities
    • New COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing (June 19, 2020 update)
    • MLN Matters: Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Response to the Public Health Emergency on the Coronavirus (May 29, 2020) and July 17, 2020 update
    • CMS expands Hospital Without Walls initiative to enable local hospitals and healthcare systems to expand their physical spaces, telehealth capabilities and staff to care for people with coronavirus (May 2020)
    • Recordings and Transcripts of CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls

     

Telehealth Expansion Policies & Learning Opportunities

• Telehealth Beyond COVID-19: Transforming Best Practices in Wound Care webinar from Wound Management & Prevention (August 2020)
• Telehealth Waivers During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency by Kathleen D. Schaum in Today's Wound Clinic (April 2020)

• Communication Technology-Based Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Kathleen D. Schaum in Today's Wound Clinic (April 2020)
• Best Practices in Telemedicine webinar specifically focused on the "virtual visit" for wound care providers, from the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (March 31, 2020)
• Telehealth for COVID-19 Across Care Settings: webinar from the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) (March 19, 2020)

• Telehealth Coverage Policies in the Time of COVID-19: How the Medicare Fee-For-Service Telehealth Policies Now Stand from the Center for Connected Health Policy  (March 17, 2020)
• CMS Expands Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries During COVID-19 Outbreak: CMS fact sheet, FAQ and toolkit (March 17, 2020)

CMS Quality Payment Programs

• CMS Announces Relief for Clinicians, Providers, Hospitals and Facilities Participating in Quality Reporting Programs in Response to COVID-19: CMS press release

   

Resource Centers of Alliance Member Organizations

Practice Management & Other Resources

• HIPPA and COVID-19 information from HHS
• National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) COVID-19 Resources
• CMS Says SNFs, Hospitals, HHAs, Rehab Agencies, Other Institutional Settings Can Bill Telehealth Outpatient Therapy Claims in APTA's PT in Motion newsletter
• Wound Care Challenges and Solutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Roundtable Discussion with Frontline Experts  webinar with WoundSource
• Understanding HIPAA During COVID-19 webinar from the Alliance and AAWC (May 5, 2020)
• ICD-10-CM Coding Guidelines for COVID-19 by Donna J. Cartwright, MPA, RHIA, CCS, RAC, FAHIMA in Today's Wound Clinic (April 2020)
• The Pandemic Model of Wound Care - AAWC webinar (April 15, 2020)
• How Your Practice Can Survive COVID-19 - APMA webinar April 9, 2020)
• How Podiatrists Can Navigate The Shifting Model Of Wound Care During The COVID-19 Pandemic by Lee Rogers, DPM, Podiatry Today blog (April 2, 2020)

Articles by Wound Care Providers, for Wound Care Providers