Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

On January 30, 2023, the Biden administration announced that the national public health emergency (PHE) would end on May 11, 2023, following almost three years. Because the PHE extended over multiple years and impacted a wide range of health services, there has been confusion over which telehealth waivers and flexibilities allowed during the PHE would cease immediately, which would continue for a time, and which are now considered permanent.

To address the confusion, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a series of fact sheets summarizing what will become of the myriad waivers and flexibilities allowed during the PHE. These fact sheets cover all waivers and flexibilities, not just telehealth-related ones. To simplify things, the UMTRC has created a resource page with the complete list of telehealth-related waivers and what will happen to them after May 11. You can access it here – a PDF version is also available to download.

Next Steps for Telehealth Waivers and Flexibilities

The telehealth waivers and flexibilities allowed by the PHE fall into three categories; after the end of the PHE – those that will end immediately, those that have been temporarily extended, and those that are allowed permanently. Those that end immediately will no longer be allowed following May 11 – providers and telehealth professionals should review the entire list to ensure they’re prepared. The most significant changes for most providers relate to accepting new patients via telehealth. Following the end of the PHE, providers can only provide remote evaluations, virtual check-ins, and e-visits to those with whom they have an established patient-provider relationship.

To better determine the most effective use of telehealth in the future, several services and flexibilities will continue to be allowed for a set amount of time to better gather data about their use and efficacy. These services fall into two categories – those extended through the end of 2023 and those extended through the end of 2024.

Some telehealth changes and flexibilities proved effective enough during the PHE they have now permanently allowed. The most significant of these is the inclusion of licensed clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists as providers allowed to provide telehealth. Depending on the evidence seen during the next two years, it is reasonable to assume that some temporarily extended codes and flexibilities will also be made permanent.

Looking to The Future

There are roughly two months before the PHE ends. Telehealth providers and professionals should stay informed as we come closer to the end of the PHE – this guidance is subject to change based on further CMS guidance. For more information, join the UMTRC on April 25 for our quarterly state of the region webinar, where we will review relevant information for all our stakeholders. Those with questions should also feel free to contact the UMTRC at [email protected].

Resources: 

UMTRC Resources

• Preparing for the End of the PHE Resources – Webpage
• Preparing for the End of the PHE Resources – PDF

Source: UMTRC Website (Accessed March 9, 2023)

Full CMS Fact Sheets – Post-PHE

• Overview
• Physicians and Other Clinicians
• Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
• Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities
• Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
• Hospitals and CAHs (including Swing Beds, DPUs), ASCs and CMHCs
• Hospice

Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Accessed March 8, 2023)

Centers For Connected Health Policy Write-Ups

• Medicare Telehealth/Connected Health Waivers At-A-Glance
• Post-PHE for Telehealth Newsletter

Source: Center for Connected Health Policy (Accessed March 8, 2023)