On April 15th, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra acknowledged the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and exercised his authority to extend the Public Health Emergency (PHE) through July 20, 2021.
A link to the official HHS announcement is available here:
https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/COVID-15April2021.aspx
All waivers tied to this PHE such as Telehealth for therapy and the 3-day 1135 waiver will remain in place other than those previously ended as noted below.
The below emergency blanket waivers will be ending effective be May 10th, 2021:
- Notification of Resident Room or Roommate changes, and Transfer and Discharge notification requirements.
- Certain care planning requirements for residents transferred or discharged for cohorting purposes.
- Timeframe requirements for completing and transmitting resident assessment information (Minimum Data Set (MDS).
CMS is providing clarification and recommendations for Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Programs (NATCEPs).
CMS Memo#: QSO-21-17-NH (PDF)
Let’s Get to the Point:
Relief is still available through recognition of this ongoing pandemic. When utilizing waivers due to COVID, documentation within the medical record tying back to COVID has proven essential.
