TOA News Feed

AudxMD’s Summary of COVID-19 Supplemental Packages

April 2, 2020

Phase One: [enacted March 6th, 2020] – The package appropriates $8.3 billion in emergency funding to give the federal government the initial tools to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The law provides fiscal year 2020 supplemental funding for the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health,…

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CMS: Hospitals & ASCs

March 30, 2020

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced temporary regulatory waivers and new rules for hospitals and ASCs to respond to COVID-19. Physician-Owned Hospitals “Physician-owned hospitals can temporarily increase the number of their licensed beds, operating rooms, and procedure rooms. For example, a physician-owned hospital may temporarily convert observation beds to inpatient beds to…

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Elective Surgeries During the COVID-19 Pandemic

March 28, 2020

Note: Weaver Johnston Nelson sent this e-mail on March 22, 2020. TOA has published it for informational purposes only; it does not constitute legal advice. Elective Procedures and Surgeries March 25, 2020 On March 22, 2020, Governor Abbott signed Executive Order GA-09, which directs facilities and licensed healthcare professionals to postpone through April 21, 2020…

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Summary of the CARES Act

March 28, 2020

What Health Organizations Need to Know About the CARES Act’s Tax and Loan Provisions By Mel Gunawardena, Managing Partner, SYNERGEN Health As the pandemic continues to develop and negatively impact the U.S. and global economy, health practices in Texas and across the nation are being forced to plan for financial challenges. As different state, county…

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COVID-19

March 25, 2020

  Click here to learn more about Congress’ end-of-year legislation in 2020. Texas DSHS Dashboard – June 2020 Click here for DSHS’s dashboard, including hospitalizations by trauma service area. Financial Relief Refer to TOA’s e-mail updates for members for extensive details related to federal relief. Texas Medical Board Click here to view the TMB’s guidance.…

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CMS: Special Open Door Forum re: Prior Authorization Process

February 28, 2020

Prior Authorization Process for Certain Durable Medical Equipment Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Items: Inclusion of Lower Limb Prosthetics (LLPs) in Prior Authorization Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 2:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time Conference Call Only The CPI will host a Special Open Door Forum to invite suppliers, physicians, and other Medicare practitioners or interested parties to…

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An Alternative to Private Equity and Hospital Absorption: Use of ESOPs for Medical Practices and Physician-Owned Hospitals in Texas

February 25, 2020

TOA disclaimer: The following article has been provided for informational purposes only.  It does not constitute legal or accounting advice. You should consult your attorney and accountant. By Susan Scherbel, Bellview Associates It is hard to think of a profession that has faced more challenges than medicine. For the past decade, physicians have been hammered…

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Are You Ready for the Trump Administration’s New Price Transparency Rules?

December 10, 2019

Author: Mel Gunawardena, Managing Partner, SYNERGEN Health In November 2019, two new rules that require pricing information to be made public were finalized by executive order and announced by the Trump administration. The rules – Calendar Year 2020 Outpatient Prospective Payment System & Ambulatory Surgical Center Price Transparency Requirements for Hospitals to Make Standard Charges…

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