News Briefs: March 30, 2020

In a March 26 email, CMS said hospitals have flexibility to deliver Medicare notices to patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.Hard copies of notices may be dropped off with a beneficiary by any hospital worker able to enter a room safely. A contact phone number should be provided for a beneficiary to ask questions about the notice, if the individual delivering the notice is unable to do so. If a hard copy of the notice cannot be dropped off, notices to beneficiaries may also delivered via email, if a beneficiary has access in the isolation room. The notices should be annotated with the circumstances of the delivery, including the person delivering the notice, and when and to where the email was sent,” CMS said. “Notice delivery may be made via telephone or secure email to beneficiary representatives who are offsite. The notices should be annotated with the circumstances of the delivery, including the person delivering the notice via telephone, and the time of the call, or when and to where the email was sent.” CMS is referring to the Important Message from Medicare, Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice, Advance Beneficiary Notice, and Hospital-Issued Notices of Noncoverage, among others.

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