Relief Fund Terms & Conditions:
Each PRF payment has its own terms and conditions, with common requirements for recipients to use the funds as reimbursement only for healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19; maintain and submit documents (as required or upon request) sufficient to demonstrate the funds were used properly; abstain from balance billing any COVID-19-related treatment or any uninsured patient for whom the provider seeks reimbursement for COVID-19-related treatment; not seek collection of out-of-pocket payments from a presumptive or actual COVID-19 patient greater than what the patient would have otherwise been required to pay if the care had been provided by an in-network provider; and maintain all records for at least three years from the final date of fund expenditure.
The terms and conditions expressly state, the “Recipient acknowledges that the Recipient’s full compliance with all Terms and Conditions is material to the Secretary’s decision to disburse funds to the Recipient. Non-compliance with any Term or Condition is grounds for the Secretary to recoup some or all of the payments made.”
This language is critical because it sets up false claims liability for recipients of these funds who do not comply with the terms and conditions.
The terms and conditions indicate provider-recipients of these funds must promptly submit records and cost documentation upon HHS request and fully cooperate with audits by the HHS, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) or the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. On June 30, the HHS warned that significant anti-fraud monitoring of the funds would occur and that the OIG would provide oversight to ensure the funds were used appropriately.
The HHS has noted forthcoming reporting requirements and instructions for general and targeted dstribution payments exceeding $10,000. An online reporting system will open on Oct. 1. (Editor’s note 12/7/2020: The launch of the reporting system was postponed. It is now expected to open on Jan. 15, 2021.) In addition, the HHS has indicated varying audit requirements for recipients of annual federal awards exceeding $750,000.
Best practices: Although many guidelines have been relaxed and waivers implemented during this public health emergency, it is strongly recommended that providers maintain supporting documentation for the use of these funds. Providers should:
- Separate each type of Relief Fund payment into its own account to track expenses;
- Review specific requirements for each Relief Fund payment’s terms and conditions;
- Create digital and/or paper files for each Relief Fund payment and related services;
- Assign a point person or accountant to conduct preliminary or random reviews of patient records and documentation of Relief Fund payment expenditures; and
- Consult with an attorney to review records and ensure compliance with all requirements.
Waivers & Flexibility
Starting in March, the HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released numerous blanket waivers and emergency flexibility for healthcare providers during the public health emergency. These include:
- CMS provider/practitioner cross-state practice and relaxed enrollment requirements;
- CMS reductions in certain paperwork, record documentation and signature requirements;
- CMS waivers for various Stark law arrangement sanctions;
- CMS physician supervision flexibility for certain procedures and practitioners; and
- CMS Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) flexibility for physician and hospital services.
The CMS clearly stated its focus on maintaining oversight for activities occurring during the public health emergency and will continue to monitor for accurate billing practices by coordinating with State Survey Agencies, the OIG and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The OIG similarly announced in June that it would increase its focus on reviewing provider claims related to COVID-19 add-on testing due to the potential for fraud and abuse that may result from CMS waivers for provider ordering of COVID-19 tests.
In late March, the CMS suspended most Medicare FFS medical reviews, including for pre-payment medical reviews conducted by Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) under the Targeted Probe and Educate program, and post-payment reviews conducted by MACs, supplemental medical review contractors and recovery audit contractors. In July, the CMS indicated its intent to discontinue this enforcement discretion beginning Aug. 3, regardless of the public health emergency status.
Best practices: Providers should prepare a compliance plan to transition public health emergency waiver activities back to standard practices at the official end of the public health emergency, maintain thorough documentation of all public health emergency services and promptly conduct a preliminary review of all claims submitted directly following the end of the public health emergency.
If selected for a FFS review of public health emergency-related claims, providers should discuss any COVID-19-related hardships they have experienced that could affect audit response times with their MAC. Providers should likewise contact an attorney to examine any letters or notices of claims potentially selected for review to best prepare for possible appeals or other adverse actions.
Telemedicine & Telehealth Services
The COVID-19 pandemic has vastly accelerated the use of telehealth. This particular area of healthcare is extraordinarily ripe for audit activity due to the sharp increase in its use and the potential for error in coding and billing applied to the wide range of new services and waivers, and also for differences in government and commercial payer coverage and reimbursement. The primary changes in public health emergency telemedicine include:
- State and CMS waivers that permit interstate practice and additional types of authorized providers;
- HIPAA enforcement discretion for use of certain non-public-facing audio or video communication products;
- DEA waiver of in-person evaluation for remote prescribing of certain controlled substances;
- OIG flexibility for providers to reduce or waive beneficiary cost sharing;
- CMS flexibilities allowing both provider and patient remote or at-home service locations;
- CMS flexibility to allow audio-only services;
- CMS waivers extending many services to new patients; and
- CMS waivers increasing reimbursement for virtual patient visits.
Providers should anticipate rigorous review of telemedicine services at the state and federal levels. The OIG noted in June and July that it intends to review Medicare and Medicaid telehealth activity and reimbursement during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The OIG is not alone in its interest in suspected telehealth fraud and abuse. The CMS and other federal and state agencies will likely engage in audits.
Best practices: Providers who used or increased telemedicine and telehealth services during the public health emergency should consider conducting internal and external compliance checks for specific billing and coding practices; developing or enhancing compliance programs and policies for continued virtual service documentation; and requiring training or updated policy review for clinicians and coding staff prior to the submission of future claims.
Steven M. Harris, Esq., is a nationally recognized healthcare attorney with McDonald Hopkins LLC. Contact him at [email protected].
