During the COVID-19 outbreak, we published a regular newsletter with emergency updates. We also have a COVID-19 Resources page with updated summaries reflecting the current state of health policy.
State Updates New York State Submits Request for COVID-19 Emergency 1115 Waiver On May 12th, New York State published the text of a proposed Section 1115(a) waiver request it has submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to address immediate needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. NYS is requesting $2.75 billion in federal…
Continue readingState Updates Governor Cuomo Discusses Regional “Reopening” Plans Today (May 11th), Governor Cuomo held a press conference during which he announced that total hospitalizations, new hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID-19 continue to decline. As a result, the statewide NY on PAUSE social distancing requirements will not be extended past May 15th and individuals and local…
Continue readingState Updates Governor Cuomo Discusses Pediatric COVID-19 Related Cases, Extension of Child Victims Act Today (May 8th), Governor Cuomo held a press conference during which he announced that new hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 continue to decline slowly, with 604 new hospitalizations and 216 deaths reported yesterday. The Governor provided updates on the Pediatric…
Continue readingGovernor Cuomo Announces Results of Health Care Employee Antibody Test, New Rent Relief Directives Today (May 7th), Governor Cuomo held a press conference during which he announced antibody testing results from a survey of health care workers conducted across 25 downstate health care facilities. Of the approximately 27,000 employees tested, the number of health care…
Continue readingGovernor Cuomo Announces Results of Hospital Survey, Plans for “Reimagining” Health Care Today (May 6th), Governor Cuomo held a press conference during which he announced preliminary results from a survey completed by 113 hospitals over a three-day period regarding new COVID-19 cases. This survey was conducted to provide detailed information on new COVID-19 hospitalizations to…
Continue readingGovernor Cuomo Provides Details on Phased Reopening Plan Today (May 4th), Governor Cuomo held a press conference during which he announced that total hospitalizations, new hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID-19 are continuing to decline. Addressing the State’s reopening plan, the Governor reaffirmed that certain regions will be permitted to begin reopening on May 15th based…
Continue readingAs part of our ongoing effort to provide comprehensive resources on policy changes during the coronavirus pandemic, SPG has put together a review of COVID-19 related benefits for the major downstate New York Medicaid managed care organizations. These changes include member cost-sharing, telehealth benefits, and behavioral health benefits. SPG’s COVID-19 MCO benefit grid is attached.
Continue readingOn April 3rd, the $178 billion State Budget for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2021, which began April 1st, was passed by the New York State Legislature and signed by the Governor. Due to economic impacts from the COVID-19 crisis, the State anticipates a revenue shortfall of $10 billion and an overall budget deficit of up…
Continue readingOn March 30th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a wide-ranging set of temporary regulatory waivers offering new flexibilities in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The waivers pertain mostly to Medicare rules, with some Medicaid components. They went into effect nationwide immediately and will last for the duration of…
Continue readingState Updates Governor Cuomo Extends School Closures, Seeks Targeted Info on New COVID-19 Hospitalizations Today (May 1st), Governor Cuomo held a press conference during which he announced that the slow but steady decline in new COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths continues. In order to develop a targeted strategy for reducing the number of new hospitalizations, the…
Continue readingFederal Updates CMS Issues New COVID-19 Regulatory Waivers Today, CMS released a new set of waivers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak creating more regulatory flexibilities for Medicare providers, retroactive to March 1st. These waivers will: Add new services to the list of Medicare eligible telehealth services that may be provided with audio-only technology. This…
Continue readingRISA Timeframes Extended During COVID-19 Emergency Today (April 29th), the Department of Labor (DoL) and Department of the Treasury released a final rule to extend the timeframe for covered persons’ rights to enroll in or continue health coverage under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). This guidance applies to ERISA-covered group health plans, disability…
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