Shortly after President Trump declared a national emergency related to COVID-19, CMS issued blanket waivers under section 1135 of the Social Security Act that are intended to ensure there are sufficient health care items and services available to meet the increased need, as well as reduce related administrative burdens on health care providers.

Our comprehensive client alert on this topic discusses:

• the 11 categories of blanket waivers issued by CMS – which significantly impact skilled nursing facilities, acute care hospitals, DMEPOS suppliers, long-term care acute care hospitals, and home health agencies;
• the process for seeking case-by-case section 1135 waivers;
• HIPAA waivers; and
• changes to reimbursement requirements for telehealth services.