Otolaryngology Coding Alert
Have You Heard? HHS Renews PHE Again
Question: What is the current status of the PHE for COVID-19, and when can we expect it to end? Mississippi Subscriber Answer: With no immediate end in sight for the pandemic, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra extended the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for another 90 days, effective Oct. 13 and running through Jan. 11, 2023. This is the eleventh time the feds have extended the PHE; HHS first declared the PHE in 2020 and has renewed it since then in 90-day increments. The extension was widely expected as an HHS official had previously said the administration would provide 60 days’ notice before ending the PHE. Reminder: As part of the PHE, the federal government allows for regulatory leniency and relaxed federal guidelines to accommodate providers struggling due to the impact of COVID-19. This includes 1135 waivers and other flexibilities related to various Medicare policies and regulations. Resource: Find the extension notice at https://aspr.hhs.gov/legal/ PHE/Pages/covid19-13Oct2022.aspx.
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