Covid-19 Resources

American Psychiatric Association
American Psychoanalytic Society
Board of Registration in Medicine - Licensing
Center for Disease Control
CMS – Medicare
DEA
Division of Insurance
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
From the Attorney General
From the Governor
Insurance Provider information
Licensure/ Interstate Practice during the COVID-19 State of Emergency
MA Department of Mental Health
MA Department of Public Health
Massachusetts Medical Society
MassHealth
MPS Disaster Committee Resources
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Restarting In Person Visits
Risk Management Resources
SAMHSA
Telehealth
Vaccinations

American Psychiatric Association

APA Website
APA Coronavirus Resources
Telepsychiatry and COVID-19
APA Advises on Mental Health Care Delivery Resources During This Crisis
Practice Guidance for COVID-19
APA - New CMS changes to Billing for Audio Only - Retroactive to March 1, 2020 - Updated 5.11.20

COVID-19 resources developed by the APA over the past several months
Guidance Document: Electroconvulsive Therapy as an Essential Procedure
Guidance Document: Use of Long-acting Injectables as a Clinically Necessary Treatment
Guidance Document: Considerations for Healthcare Workers and Staff Exposed to COVID-19 Death and Dying
Guidance Document: Considerations for Family and Other Personal Losses Due to COVID-19-Related Death
Guidance Document: Psychiatrists Returning to Clinical Service
Guidance Document: COVID-19 and Impact on Incarcerated Persons Living with Mental Illness
Guidance Document: Moral Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Support for Permanent Expansion of Telehealth Regulations After COVID-19

American Psychoanalytic Society

APsaA’s COVID resources
Email your questions for the Covid-19 Task Force: [email protected]
COVID-19 Broadcast-only list, open to any interested psychotherapist. [email protected] (send a blank email to sign up)

Board of Registration in Medicine - Licensing

Important Information Regarding Physician Licensure during the State of Emergency

Continuing Medical Education (CME). This interim policy waives the continuing medical education (CME) requirement for licenses which are due for renewal on April 2, 2020 through and including Dec. 31, 2020. The full text of the policy may be found here

Order Extending the Registrations of Certain Licensed Health Care Professionals

Center for Disease Control

COVID-19 Page/Resources
CDC Advises on Stress Management
CDC Speaks on Evidence Based Communication Strategies in Times of a Disaster
CDC Guidance for Group Living Environments
New CDC guidance for vaccinated individuals
COVID-19 for organizations working with patients who use drugs or have substance use disorders

CMS – Medicare

As information about billing is frequently changing, we encourage MPS members to contact the APA link above directly with questions.

Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Fact Sheet 3.17.2020
COVID-19 CMS Expands Telehealth Press Release Final 3.17.20
COVID19 Telehealth Waiver FAQ Final 3.17.20
COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers including telehealth 4.30.20
APA - New CMS changes to Billing for Audio Only - Retroactive to March 1, 2020 - Updated 5.11.20
Telehealth Frequently Asked Questions 4.2.20

DEA

COVID-19 Information Page

Division of Insurance

March 16, 2020 – Emergency measures to address and stop the spread of COVID-19 (telehealth)
March 16, 2020 – Addressing COVID-19 Treatment and Testing
April, 30, 2020 - Relaxing Certain Health Plan Administrative Procedures including Prior Authorizations During the COVID-19 Health Emergency
June 25, 2020 - Bulletin 2020-21 – Continued Relaxation of Prior Authorization Procedures in Response to the COVID-19 Health Emergency

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Hand sanitizers and COVID-19
Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2
Medical gloves
Surgical mask and gown shortage
Ventilators
Food safety and COVID-19
Face masks and surgical masks
Pulse oximeters

From the Attorney General

FrontlineMA.org – centralized information for front line workers, including personal protective equipment (PPE), prioritized testing, safe housing, meals, self-care and emergency child care.

From the Governor

COVID-19 ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Health and Human Services Reopening Approach May 18, 2020
Reopening Massachusetts - May 18, 2020
Executive Order-essential services order extension (May 4-May 18, 2020)
EXHIBIT A OF THE ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR ASSURING CONTINUED OPERATION OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES IN THE COMMONWEALTH, CLOSING CERTAIN WORKPLACES AND PROHIBITING GATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE - March 23, 2020-April 7, 2020
Executive Order 3-31-2020 – essential services order extension April 7-May 4, 2020
Executive Order 3-17-2020 – extending the registration of certain licensed health care providers allowing telehealth practice
Executive Order 3-17-2020 – expanding access to physician services expanding physician licensing
Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund

Vaccine Preregistration begins Friday March 12
The Baker Administration will launch a preregistration system for mass vaccination sites only. Preregistration will allow eligible residents to request to book an appointment at one of the state’s 7 mass vaccination sites by completing the online form at mass.gov/COVIDvaccine. After completing the form, residents will get a confirmation via their preferred method of contact (text, e-mail, phone) and receive a weekly update about their status. Residents may opt out of their preregistration at any time if they secure an appointment elsewhere. When an appointment becomes available at a mass vaccination site, the resident will be notified and will have 24 hours to accept the appointment once it is offered to them. If an appointment is not accepted after 24 hours, the resident will go back into the queue to wait for another appointment. To accommodate older residents and others who are unable to use the form, the preregistration form allows family members, caregivers or other companions to fill out the form on behalf of someone else. Residents who do not have internet access or someone to fill the form out for them can call 2-1-1 to preregister. Available appointments will be offered to residents based on their vaccine eligibility and the availability of appointments at mass vaccination sites nearby. Initially, this program is only for the state’s 7 mass vaccination sites. More sites will be added to the pre-registration system in April. Massachusetts receives a very limited supply of vaccine from the federal government each week. Due to high demand and limited supply, there are only a small number of appointments for eligible residents. Given the limited number of available appointments due to constraints on vaccine supply, it could take several weeks for eligible, preregistered residents to receive a notification about an available appointment. In addition to preregistering for a mass vaccination appointment, eligible residents are encouraged to book vaccine appointments at any of the 170 public vaccine sites across the Commonwealth at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/ The state has also allocated a supply of doses to certain health care providers, hospitals and community health centers that will provide instructions to their patients on their vaccine process. Once the preregistration system is launched on Friday, March 12, it will replace the weekly appointment release on Thursdays for mass vaccination sites only. Eligible residents will need to preregister online or contact the call center to request an appointment for a mass vaccination site.

Vaccine eligibility
Phase 2 individuals eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, including those over 65, those with certain medical conditions, and residents of senior and low-income housing. As of March 11th, all K-12 and early education staff will be able to get vaccinated at any site where vaccines are available, not just retail pharmacies. MPS advocated with EOHHS for SMI to be a Phase 2 eligible diagnosis. Details will be in the next newsletter.

Targeted vaccine outreach for hard hit communities
The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting Medicare-Medicaid dually eligible individuals, racial and ethnic minority groups, and individuals with disabilities. You can help make sure hard-to-reach Medicare patients get COVID-19 vaccination information during this public health emergency. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health COVID-19 Resources on Vulnerable Populations produced fact sheets in multiple languages to assist organizations who work with those most vulnerable, such as older adults, those with underlying medical conditions, racial and ethnic minorities, rural communities, and people with disabilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a Communication Toolkit for migrants, refugees, and other limited-English-proficient populations. Massachusetts has identified hard hit communities as Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, and Worcester and has launched a targeted outreach initiative. Details are at this link: https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-launches-targeted-outreach-initiative-in-20-hardest-hit and other resources are at this link: Trust the Facts, Get the Vax https://www.mass.gov/info-details/trust-the-facts-get-the-vax. Black Boston Covid-19 Coalition is a group of stakeholders who have convened to stem the tide of transmission of Covid -19 in the Black community. Information is at this link: https://blackbostoncoalition.org/

The Commonwealth has re-entered Phase 3, Step 2 of the Reopening Massachusetts plan.

Insurance Provider information

As information about billing is frequently changing, we encourage MPS members to contact plans directly with questions.

Contact list for all major health plans http://www.massmed.org/Patient-Care/COVID-19/MAHP-Chart-COVID-19-Provider-Communications/
MA Association of Health Plans, Q/A about Covid-related billing. http://www.massmed.org/Patient-Care/COVID-19/MMS-MHA-Questions-for-MAHP/

Beacon
Beacon Broadcast – March 16, 2020 - Billing for Covered Services Delivered via Telehealth
Beacon Provider Update – March 20, 2020 – Update to Providers Increasing Members’ Access to Telehealth
Beacon Provider Resources

Blue Cross Blue Shield – Covid-19 Information for Providers
BlueCross BlueShield
BCBS Telemedicine Payment Policy Medical

Harvard Pilgrim
Optum
Tufts
UnitedHealthcare

Updated Massachusetts health plans coverage policies
The Massachusetts Medical Society is working closely with health plan leadership, state officials, and partners within the health care system to address local needs resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. For an updated summary of MA health plan coverage policies, please click here.

Licensure/Interstate Practice during the COVID-19 State of Emergency

The Federation of State Medical Boards has issued updates on individual states’ requirements for telehealth. Click here to see the most recent version. Unfortunately each state has adopted different requirements for out-of-state licensed physicians to treat patients in their state. In the upcoming MPS Sept. newsletter, our MPS Counsel, Jim Hilliard will be discussing not only the issues involved with practicing tele-psychiatry in other states within the new rules of each state but also several collateral issues that must be considered, such as malpractice coverage, being aware of other states’ standards of care (duty to warn, child abuse reporting to name a few), and also the necessity at times, to have a “back-up” psychiatrist or therapist in the event of an emergency. Questions such as these can be referred to Jim Hilliard as part of your member benefit of two hours of consultation with Mr. Hilliard which can be initiated at this number (617) 610-5557.

Modified Licensing requirements for Covid-19 in the US States and Territories
Order Extending the Registrations of Certain Licensed Health Care Professionals
Feds OK Interstate Licensing, Paving Way for Telehealth Expansion
Summary of Gov order from APA regional

MA Department of Mental Health

DMH #20-03 Admission and Treatment of Patients with COVID-19 5/1/20
DMH #20-04 COVID-19 PANDEMIC GUIDANCE Admission and EPIA to support movement of pts needing inpt admission out of EDs 5/20/20
DMH #20-05 directives regarding infection control mgmt. of covid 19 in licensed facilities 5/21/20
DMH bulletin #20-05 - COVID-19 Infection Control and Other Requirements in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
DMH bulletin #20-05 - COVID-19 Tier 1
DMH bulletin #20-05- COVID-19 Tier 2
DMH bulletin #20-05 - COVID-19 Infection Control and Other Requirements in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Attestation

MA Department of Public Health

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information
Crisis Standards of Care Planning Guidance for the COVID-19 Pandemic April 7, 2020
Guidance for Group Living Environments was issued by MA DPH - 4.12.20

Massachusetts Medical Society

Tips for Expanding Practice During COVID-19 - May 2020
COVID-19 website and resources including telehealth
COVID-19 Insurance Billing Guidelines for Telehealth Service
MAResponds.org Health Care Professional Volunteers at https://www.mass.gov/health-services-covid-19-volunteer-form
The MMS has just launched a new resource page dedicated to Mindfulness & Compassion in the Time of COVID-19: Tools to Stay Steady and Calm. http://www.massmed.org/mindfulness/. Physicians can self-claim AMA PRA Category 2 Credit(tm) if they wish.
Payer update: Massachusetts health plans coverage policies (updated). The Massachusetts Medical Society is working closely with health plan leadership, state officials, and partners within the health care system to address local needs resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.
Telemedicine Vendor Options

Updated Massachusetts health plans coverage policies
The Massachusetts Medical Society is working closely with health plan leadership, state officials, and partners within the health care system to address local needs resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. For an updated summary of MA health plan coverage policies, please click here.

Physician Office re-opening resources
The Betsy Lehman Center, Board of Registration in Medicine and Massachusetts Medical Society have updated their previous guidance on considerations for in-person medical visits at this link.