COVID-19 waivers will be in place until April, thanks to PHE renewal

by: Julia Kyles, CPC Jan 8, 2021

Circle April 21 on your calendar. That’s the new expiration date for the declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) that has been in place since the determination made by HHS Secretary Alex Azar, II, Jan. 31, 2020.

The extension will preserve dozens of waivers and exceptions that CMS and other agencies introduced during the PHE — including telephone visits paid at a E/M office visit rates, and the ability to perform more than 80 visits by telephone — for 90 days after Jan. 21, the expiration date for the current declaration.

Here is the complete text of the latest declaration of a PHE, signed Jan 7:

As a result of the continued consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, on this date and after consultation with public health officials as necessary, I, Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of Health and Human Services, pursuant to the authority vested in me under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, do hereby renew, effective January 21, 2021, my January 31, 2020, determination, that I previously renewed on April 21, 2020 October 23, 2020, my January 31, 2020, determination, that I previously renewed on April 21, 2020, July 23, 2020, and October 2, 2020, that a public health emergency exists and has existed since January 27, 2020, nationwide.

Editor's note: Get caught up with the latest coding and compliance rules for telehealth and communications-based care. Register today for the webinar Telehealth & Communications-Based Care 2021: Discover What's New and Code Correctly During and After the PHE, Feb. 17, 1-2 a.m., ET. The session will include the new codes and guidelines that Medicare introduced this year and tips on what to expect when the PHE ends.

Blog Tags: COVID-19, telehealth

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