On October 2, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) renewed the declaration of the COVID-19 national public health emergency (PHE), and it will now extend through at least January 20, 2021 (unless the Secretary renews the PHE again). This means that most of the Section 1135 and Section 1812(f) Social Security Act waivers impacting SNFs will continue, including waivers of the Medicare Part A SNF 3-day stay prior hospitalization requirement and 60-day break in spell of illness requirement to qualify for covered services.
- The background of the waivers
- Medicare Part A SNF skilled coverage requirements
- Highlights of the most current CMS 3-day stay and spell of illness FAQ guidance (most recently updated June 19, 2020)
- Current CMS 3-day stay and spell of illness waiver claims processing guidance (most recently updated August 26, 2020).
The new AHCA/NCAL fact sheet can be found here.