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ASRS Seeks Additional Relief in COVID-4 Legislative Package
ASRS joined the Federation of Medicine in a letter to Congress regarding additional relief in a COVID-4 package. On behalf of the Federation, the AMA asked Congress to:
- Increase physician payments by implementing a positive Medicare payment update for 2020, providing Medicaid and TRICARE parity with Medicare during the pandemic, waiving budget neutrality for payment changes for E/M services that will be implemented January 1, 2021, and extending sequestration relief through December 31, 2021;
- Increase direct financial support, grants, and interest free loans and other mechanisms, such as a 9/11-type COVID fund, for physician practices of all sizes to ensure that they can remain afloat;
- Improve the Medicare Accelerated and Advanced Payment program during the pandemic by postponing recoupment, reducing per-claim recoupment, extending the repayment period, waiving interest during the extended period, and giving HHS authority to issue more than one advanced payment;
- Provide additional funding for Small Business Administration, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, including an affiliation waiver and exception for large practices with more than one location but 500 or fewer employees per location;
- Require parity with Medicare telemedicine policies from ERISA group health plans during the pandemic;
- Provide federal student loan forgiveness or tuition relief for residents and medical students, and flexible GME reimbursement to hospitals to accommodate variations in training; and,
- Broaden medical liability protections for all health care providers who must provide, reduce or delay services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ASRS is joining the Alliance in a letter requesting similar relief.
(Published 4.15.20)