C-TAC Weekly Policy Roundup: New Survey Confirms COVID-19 Impact on Health Care Workers

Each week, C-TAC compiles the latest legislative and regulatory updates affecting the serious illness care field, combined with insider analysis from our policy experts. Here’s what you need to know for the week ahead: 

• Kaiser Family Foundation/Washington Post Survey Confirms Impact of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers
• CMMI Releases Helpful New Guide on the Hospice Component of the Value-Based Insurance Design Model
• Register Now: ACL Hosting Webinar on how to apply to Increase Connectivity with the Emergency Broadband Benefit
• CMS to Pause Medicare Payments Until Congress Passes Sequester Fix in April

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Kaiser Family Foundation/Washington Post Survey Confirms Impact of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers

The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on the mental health of frontline health care workers, the majority of whom report that the crisis has had a negative impact on their mental health, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation/Washington Post survey. About 3 in 10 workers have received mental health services or thought they needed them directly as a result of the pandemic. At least 4 in 10 frontline health care workers say that the pandemic has negatively impacted their physical health (49%), and their relationships with family members (42%) and coworkers (41%).

This research is a reminder of the crucial need to ensure that health care workers on the frontlines of the pandemic have access to the tools and support they need in order to care for those with serious illness. To learn more, please click here.

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CMMI Releases Helpful New Guide on the Hospice Component of the Value-Based Insurance Design Model

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation has released a new Frequently Asked Questions document to offer more information about the Hospice Benefit Component of the Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model. C-TAC supports this model and the document offers guidance related to claims and billing, networks and contracting, appeals and grievances, as well as other topics related to the Hospice Benefit Component. The FAQ document is available here. For more information about the Hospice Component of VBID, please click here.

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Register Now: ACL Hosting Webinar on how to apply to Increase Connectivity with the Emergency Broadband Benefit

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) will be hosting a virtual event on April 15 at 3 PM ET, focused on the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB). This webinar will offer an overview of the program, who is eligible, how it works and how to help people enroll and C-TAC encourages members and others to share this with communities and programs who could benefit from this new support.

The EBB, a program of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), aims to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more and register, please click here.

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CMS to Pause Medicare Payments Until Congress Passes Sequester Fix in April

The Biden-Harris Administration is temporarily holding Medicare claims with service dates on or after April 1 to ensure providers aren’t impacted by a 2% cut to payments set to go back into effect on that date. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ notice comes nearly a week after the Senate passed legislation to extend through the rest of 2021 a moratorium on a 2% cut to all Medicare payments that was installed under the sequester. To learn more, click here to read the full report from Fierce Healthcare.

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For more information about C-TAC’s legislative and regulatory efforts, visit our policy page.