A lot has happened recently in the healthcare industry and at Americare Network. Here we recap on some important news from this month and last.

  • September 29, 2021 – Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 and the American Rescue Plan rural funding applications opened.
  • September 30, 2021 – The Provider Relief Fund, 1st period reporting deadline was on this day. However, a 60-day grace period was established to help providers come into compliance and submit their reports.
  • September 30, 2021 – Part II Interim Final Rule for the No Surprises Act released to establish rules for the ban on surprise medical billing. This Act will be effective as of January 1, 2022.
  • Early October – Americare Network integrates with HL7 in collaboration with a premier testing lab to help with COVID-19 sample collections billing
  • October 6, 2021 – The American Medical Association published CPT/HCPCS codes for pediatric Pfizer vaccine which will become effective given that the FDA approves the use of vaccines in children 5-11 years of age. The codes are as follows:
    • Pfizer vaccine product code – Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Pediatric Vaccine, SARSCOV2 VAC 10 MCG TRS-SUCR: 91307
    • Pfizer vaccine 1st dose administration code – Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Pediatric Vaccine – Administration, ADM SARSCV2 10MCG TRS-SUCR 1 – First dose: 0071A
    • Pfizer vaccine 2nd dose administration code – Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Pediatric Vaccine – Administration, ADM SARSCV2 10MCG TRS-SUCR 2 – Second dose: 0072A
  • October 20, 2021 – The FDA approves Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Booster vaccine doses along with a “mix and match” approach, allowing eligible individuals get a different booster vaccination than their primary vaccination dose.
  • October 22, 2021 – Guidance issued to states that will require COVID-19 related services to be covered without cost sharing in Medicaid and CHIP.
  • October 26, 2021 – Members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee had a meeting on this date to discuss a request to make changes to Pfizer-BioNTech’s Emergency Use Authorization of the vaccines for children 5-11 years of age. 17 members voted that yes, the benefits do outweigh the risks when administered at a lower dose, 1 member abstained from voting. Members, however, did express some concerns over voting based on the number of participants in studies versus the actual population of children 5-11. No official FDA update on this vote has been published yet.
  • Other Updates – Americare Network starts working with pharmacies and billing COVID-19 services with HRSA for the uninsured and underinsured

Keep checking back for more news on medical billing, HRSA, healthcare providers, etc.! We keep updated with current coding and billing standards. As well, we are now equipped to helping pharmacists who can bill for COVID-19 related services. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your billing needs!