6/4 BLUE CROSS ANNOUNCES ADVANCED CLAIMS PAYMENT PROGRAM! 5/12 IMPORTANT! Link Here! or go to https://www.azblue.com/coronavirus-providers
5/12 IMPORTANT! Price Transparency: Requirement to Post Cash Prices Online for COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes a number of provisions to provide relief to the public from issues caused by the pandemic, including price transparency for COVID -19 testing. Section 3202(b) of the CARES Act requires providers of diagnostic tests for COVID-19 to post the cash price for a COVID-19 diagnostic test on their website from March 27 through the end of the public health emergency. For more information, see the FAQs.
5/8 Here is an excellent video from CMS on over 80 different telemedicine codes you should be using! For the codes:
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-General-Information/Telehealth/Telehealth-Codes
5/4 – What do you need this week. Let us know. PPE, Covid testing resources, filling your office with patients? We can help.
5/1 May 1! Get your attestation in today to get paid for round 2 CARES Act. You do not fill out, you will not get this check:
Attestation: https://covid19.linkhealth.com/#/step/1
Main Website with FAQ and other details: https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/index.html
Attestation PDF: https://commonwealthaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/relief-fund-payment-terms-and-conditions-04132020.pdf
4/29- BBVA PPP INFO!! Contact Paula & Lance, Application link, then read details below
BBVA is now accepting applications for prospects. Can you advise all of your medical offices if they would like to apply I can assist them. They will need to open a BBVA account.
They will need to set up an appt at their local branch to open a new business checking account and provide my name, Jacki Granger, Branch # 181, my Officer # 41846 and my Cost Center # 41912. They need to do it today or Monday. The funding will be available on Monday and we expect it to run out within 4 days.
We will need them to fill out the attached PPP application and send me the following information so that I can submit the application once the new business account has been opened.
4/28- Link to attestation for HHS/UnitedHealthCare Advance/Accelerated Payment funds: https://covid19.linkhealth.com/#/step/1
Unfortunately, no new applications are being taken.
4/23 – ACO has CONTACT for OFFICES for PPE GEAR – We have found a local source for PPE! Some items like N95 masks are limited, so the ACO will continue to manage mass quantity. You should order what you can for yourselves: Website link Huumangear or contact Anthony Rivera directly at 480-444-9091 anthony@huumangear.com
4/17 – These pages are good to bookmark directly from CMS (Medicare) continually posting guidance in response to the public health emergency:
- Coronavirus Waivers & Flexibilities webpage
- CMS Current Emergencies webpage
- Podcasts and Transcripts webpage where the Office Hours calls recordings are posted.
- The revised Medicare Learning Network (MLN) SE20011: Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Response to the Public Health Emergency on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) that was revised on April 10, 2020.
These additional telehealth resources may also be of interest:
- A telehealth toolkit for general practitioners;
- Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Telehealth Services YouTube Video that describes Medicare’s coverage of telehealth services;
- List of Telehealth services;
- Medicare Telehealth FAQs document; and,
- CMS letter to clinicians that outlines a summary of actions CMS has taken to ensure clinicians have maximum flexibility to reduce unnecessary barriers to providing patient care. The summary includes information about telehealth and virtual visits, beginning on page three.
4/16 – eVigils has ramped up capabilities with their patient app. This patient app can also provide telelmedicine. Go to https://myeviglis.com/join-code Please reach out to the ACO team with questions.
4/13 – PPP Applications, Let us know, we can personally help you with BBVA Also: Quickbooks can process PPP Applications
For Reference: 3M Guide for Respiratory Mask Performance
Additional CARES Act Funding on its way! hhs.gov/providerrelief Practice payments from HHS/UHG: Providers we be paid by ACH if account info is on file with UHG, UnitedHealthcare, or Optum Bank, and used for Medicare reimbursements. Other providers will receive a paper check within the next few weeks.
Within 30 days of receipt, providers must sign an attestation confirming receipt & terms and conditions of the payment. See link above.
Week of 4/5 – Offices are starting to receive their $$ for the programs below. Let us know if we can help. If your bank is unwilling to help on the PPP loan, we can help if you are open to shifting your office banking to BBVA.
4/1/2020 Its April! No Fools Here. We have some additional information on the government programs. There are two programs in particular now:
- EIDL Grant – Automatic $10K grant, no repayment. Money in 3 days. Start Here. Do this Now! https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/
- EIDL Loan – General page for EIDL loan is here https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
- Paycheck Protection Program (Click this link)
- 7a SBA Loan. The ACO is working with a preferred bank relationship with BBVA asap. If you already have a preferred bank in place, contact your bankasap.
- Program applications starts April 3, 2020
- The loan amounts will be forgiven as long as:
- The loan proceeds are used to cover payroll costs, and most mortgage interest, rent, and utility costs over the 8 week period after the loan is made; and
- Employee and compensation levels are maintained.
3/31 ACO Offices:
All of you should have had outreach including the Application for Advanced Payment from CMS. This allows you to get 3 months advanced payment for your typical CMS billing. In the next day or two we should have additional information to help you on the following programs:
- SBDC – small business development loans
- CARES act – Companies with 500 employees or fewer that maintain their payroll during coronavirus can receive up to 8 weeks of cash-flow assistance. If employers maintain payroll, the portion of the loans used for covered payroll costs, interest on mortgage obligations, rent, and utilities would be forgiven.
- $10,000 IRS credit for Advance Payment of employer credits
- Others we are researching for you
We know that you can apply for all programs, but some of these do not allow duplication of double dipping. We will keep you apprised of this so be on the lookout for our communication
3/27 Happy Friday Today’s update on PPE & PPE conservation. We hope the offices appreciate how hard it was to get the PPE we distributed. No one else in town is doing this. We are lucky to have a great ACO team.
CDC PPE Conservation
AZ Dept of Health Memo on PPE Conservation
3/25 Update on telemed from the Governor and MGMA. This and more at: www.commonwealthaco.com/telemedicine:
Governors Update Paying for all Telemed
3/24 WE HAVE PPE AT THE ACO OFFICE FOR YOU
We have gowns and N95 masks and will be allocating out to the offices thanks to the hard work and connections of Dr. Page and Janis. Please make your appointment to come by the ACO office and pick up.
3/20 – Its Friday!
BCBS has stated they will pay for telemed and waive deductible. See BCBSMemo.
We have a respiratory therapy partner with home therapy and breathing machines available. Contact us asap if you have member needs.
Hopefully you all are running on telemed, we will get you wellness visits lists asap.
3/19
United confirmed today they are paying for telemedicine in all products. We
continue to rollout iHealthfrontier telemedicine with zoom.us as a backup platform. Each provider has an iHealth logon, Zoom will be provided as backup one per office. Training for zoom is online, and we are holding a session Friday noon: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/834746989
Be on the lookout for teamwork discussion and forums on PPE and ways the ACO and our offices are working to support one another.
3/18 – How’s telemedicine progressing in your office
Are you using your EMR portal or eVigils (and eVigils has a patient app) for patient communication? If so, you can charge Medicare (99421 $15.50) for 5 minutes worth of communication.
Here are two links from SonoraQuest. If you are low on nasal swabs, there is an alternate collection process available:
Alternate Covid-19 Specimen Collection Process
3/17 – Happy St Patrick’s Day!
Check out the following links on telemedicine:
My ACO Powerpoint Code Summary
www.commonwelathaco.com/telemedicine
Week of 3/16/2020 – Telemedicine and COVID-19 Info
Provider/Owners: We have a few different telemedicine options for you and have had for some time. I must admit in my new role as CEO, its a little disappointing that it takes a crisis for everyone to pay attention to all the resources the ACO has and what the ACO does for you, but we are prepared and ready for this huge opportunity to improve care in our community. Please reach out and we will help to get you moving. A couple of articles:
Great Suggestion from an ACO office:
Practices are giving patients the option of waiting in their car and being called or texted when it is their turn to be roomed. They are trying to keep patients out of the waiting room.
2019 Archives Below____________________________________________________
Week of 7/29 – We have a new contract 125% of Medicare
Solidarity Health Share is a Tempe, faith based alternative to ACA health plans. They are fast growing and offered Commonwealth a no risk PPO like contract at Medicare Allowable + 25% Contact us to sign up now!
Week of 7/1 – All ACO – Agilon update and HCC kickoff
Tuesday July 2 @ Tempe Embassy Suites. 6:30-9:30pm. Attendance will be compensated!
July 2019 Updates
Week of 5/6 – What R U doing w your ACO/Lab distribution – tell us!
Exclusive event for Commonwealth Offices – Sonora Quest/Umethod Dinner, 5/29 @ 6:30 The Keg Chandler – Cleveland Clinic Center for Brain Health rsvp SQ rep, ACO, or TammyBooze@sonoraquest.com
Week of 4/29
4/30 – Practice managers gotomeeting @ 11:30 AM
Our Agilonhealth/ACO partnership is moving forward. I would guess that all offices and providers need an individual review on the update of this partnership and what it will mean to the ACO and to your office. Please call Lance to schedule a time asap.
Week of 4/1
Are any office billing the new telehealth codes yet? (99441-3, 99446-9, 99452-3, G2010, G2012) Would you like to? Please let me know either way as we are eager to see billing results.
Week of 3/17
Excellent work on GPRO Reporting, expect follow for your office in May. If you want info or reports sooner, just call to schedule.
Week of 2/25
2/25/2019 – A longtime friend of the ACO has formally signed up as a partner for interventional radiology. In addition to the East Valley locations, Dr Rainwater with CiCC also recently opened a center in Flagstaff to support our offices there! https://www.ciccenters.com/ Dr. Rainwater has also added cardiology, and looking to build on those capabilities.
Week of 1/21
1/23/2019 – Follow up asap:
- Need volunteers for agilon (agilonhealth.com) site visit to Austin, Tx Feb 8. (day trip) This strategic partnership is the future of our organization and will give us the resources and leadership needed to grow to the next level.
- Follow up on new codes for telehealth, and hormone therapy
- Contact: Lance ldonkerbrook@commonwealthaco.com 602-492-8388
1/22/2019 – All ACO Meeting 6:30 Crowne Plaza – Big News!!!
Week of 1/7
Please note that Tri-City Cardiology has chosen to NOT SUPPORT our ACO as a partner. Every referral you allow unmanaged is a detriment to your bonus and ACO success initiatives.
Week of 12/17/2018
Health Insurance Option as a Commonwealth member: Outfront Health with the CIGNA network. commonwealthaco.com/healthinsurance
Direct PCP Contract Opportunity from Humana
New Contract Opportunity from Health Net MA
As always: Contact: Lance 602-492-8388 or your Provider Liaison
Week of 11/5/18
Revenue enhancement/better patient care opportunity:
Our partner SonoraQuest has partnered with uMethod on an innovative new test for your patients, especially MSSP. CMS is promoting the value of testing for Alzheimer’s and this means about an extra $700 in revenue per patient to the practice. We are looking to rollout to our offices, starting with those most interested.
Learn More: uMETHOD Contact: Lance 602-492-8388 or your Provider Liaison