“CMS looks forward to continuing to support our provider community during this difficult time,” the agency said in a statement, setting out eligibility requirements for providers seeking emergency funding. CMS and its parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, are also encouraging private health plans to take steps such as expediting payments as the U.S. health care system struggles with weeks of backlogs.
Lawmakers and doctors said Saturday that the emergency funding would provide much-needed financial relief to physician organizations and other health care providers who are rapidly depleting cash reserves and struggling to make payroll. Stated. Lawmakers and the health care industry have criticized federal officials for not providing more aid to doctors and suppliers, saying smaller organizations are in greater need of urgent aid than deep-pocketed hospitals.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. “This will directly help the doctors on the front lines.” Schumer (D.N.Y.) said in a statement Saturday. Schumer and other lawmakers, including doctors Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) and Rep. Larry Buchshon (R-Ind.), are urging federal health officials to increase aid to physician groups. I was applying pressure.
“This will be a huge help,” added Farzad Mostashari, CEO of Arededo, the country's largest network of independent practitioners. Mr Mostashari had previously warned that 25% of medical practitioners were in financial difficulty.
UnitedHealth previously announced it would make emergency payments to providers affected by the Change Healthcare hack, but doctors say the offer is insufficient. Some doctors waiting to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills report receiving offers of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Health care leaders on Saturday called on Congress to take further steps to address the ongoing crisis, including requiring other private health plans to provide emergency funding to doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. Ta. Medicare officials have encouraged the plans but lack legal authority to enforce them.
Chip Kahn, CEO of the American Hospital Federation, an industry group representing for-profit hospitals, said, “CMS leaders are committed to implementing these measures to ensure continuity of patient care and access to care. I think we need to strengthen our medical plans.” “Health plans don’t seem to have gotten the memo.”
UnitedHealth on Thursday announced a schedule to bring its network back online, saying it plans to begin testing and rebuilding its claims network on March 18, but Khan and other leaders said it will take several weeks to get back online. He said he was still preparing for the turmoil that would ensue.
“Just because the system comes back up initially doesn't mean bills will start flowing, payments won't start flowing, and that could last for weeks in some cases,” Mostashari said. “I'm a little worried that people will look at that announcement and say, 'Oh, the money will be in my bank account on March 18th.'” That's not the case. ”
