COVID-19 Resources
COVID-19 Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- FDA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Daily Roundup
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- U.S. State Department Travel Advisories
- American Medical Association (AMA)
Webinars
- On Demand COVID-19 Preparedness for Nuclear Labs Webinar
- Virtual Visits: Utilizing Technology to Drive Patient Care and Appropriate Use
- Restarting your Nuclear Lab Operations as the COVID-19 Pandemic Recedes
ASNC Flashpoint Member Newsletter
Members have exclusive access to Flashpoint archives. Join or renew your membership to get access to this weekly publication.
- Multisociety Letter Urging CMS to Publicly Report Obstacles to AUC Program Implementation - Nov. 30, 2020
- Stark Law Update: New Exceptions to the Physician Self-referral Regulations Push Providers to Assume More Financial Risk in Value-based Models - Nov. 30, 2020
- Multisociety Letter Asking Congress to Reconsider AUC Program - Nov. 7, 2020
- NRC Response to Medical Professional Societies' Request for Regulatory Relief from U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulation, Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 35.290 - Sept. 18, 2020
- New E/M, COVID-19 Codes Will Take Effect Jan. 1, 2021 - Sept. 18, 2020
- Expansion of the Accelerated and Advanced Payments Program for Providers and Suppliers During COVID-19 Emergency - Aug. 22, 2020
- COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions on Medicare Fee-for-Service Billing - Aug. 14, 2020
- HHS Renewal of Determination that a Health Emergency Exists - July 23, 2020
- AMA Project N95 FAQ - July 23, 2020
- HHS Telemedicine Hack Initiative - July 17, 2020
- AMA Announces Telehealth Impact Survey - July 16, 2020
- Letter to Congress on H-1B Physicians' Entry into U.S. - July 8, 2020
- Medical Societies Urge HHS to Waive Budget Neutrality Requirements for Office Visits in Upcoming Rulemaking - July 1, 2020
- Access to Quality Payment Program Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exemption Application and Instructions - June 29, 2020
- Quality Payment Program COVID-19 Response - June 24, 2020
- ASNC Asks NRC for Modification to T&E Requirement During COVID-19 - June 15, 2020
- Department of Treasury/Small Business Administration Statement on Enactment of PPP Flexibility Act - June 8, 2020
- Small Business Administration FAQ on Payroll Protection Program Loan Forgiveness - May 22, 2020
- Small Business Administration Application for Payroll Protection Program Loan Forgiveness - May 22, 2020
- IAEA Webinar: "COVID-19 Pandemic: Transitioning to a 'New Normal' - When and How" - May 22, 2020
- ASNC Letter Urging Insurers to Reflect COVID-19 Safety Recommendations in Coverage - April 28, 2020
- CMS Announces Second Allocation from Provider Relief Fund: Portal for Reporting Revenue Open - April 27, 2020
- CMS Suspends Accelerated and Advance Payment Programs - April 27, 2020
- Congress Passes Another COVID-19 Relief Bill - April 27, 2020
- ASNC Leads CV Multi-society Letter to Congress Requesting Policy Priorities - April 21, 2020
- ASNC, AMA, Others Push for More Clinician Support in COVID-19 - April 15, 2020
- SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Tests: Learn the Essentials on New CPT Codes - April 15, 2020 AMA
- Relief and Flexibility for Physicians During COVID-19: Legislative and Regulatory Actions and Resources – April 12, 2020
- Template: Appeal Letter for Denials During COVID-19 Pandemic – April 11, 2020
- Advocacy Alert: First Distribution of Relief Funds to Providers – April 10, 2020
- Paycheck Protection Program: Interim Final Rules at a Glance – Updated April 9, 2020
- ASNC Joins AMA and Other Societies in Request for Immediate Financial Assistance – April 7, 2020, Letter to CMS
- CMS Actions Taken to Ensure Clinicians Have Maximum Flexibility to Reduce Unnecessary Barriers to Providing Patient Care – April 7, 2020, CMS Letter
- Non-Emergent, Elective Medical Services, and Treatment Recommendations – April 7, 2020, CMS
- U.S. NRC Methods for Providing Regulatory Relief During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency – April 7, 2020
- Guidance on State Level Medical Liability Protections – April 7, 2020, American Medical Association and Medical Professional Liability Association
- Access On-demand COVID-19 Preparedness for Nuclear Labs Webinar
- Q&A from the COVID-19 Webinar session
- Blanket Waivers for Stark Self-referral Rules Due to Declaration of COVID-19 Outbreak in the U.S. as a National Emergency – March 1, 2020, CMS
- Accelerated and Advance Payments Program for Providers and Suppliers During COVID-19 Emergency – April 1, 2020, CMS Fact Sheet
- COVID-19 AND THE GLOBAL SUPPLY OF Mo-99 AND OTHER ISOTOPES – March 30, 2020, Nuclear Medicine Europe
- Private Payer Coverage for COVID-19 - April 1, 2020
- Association of Cardiac Injury with Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China – March 25, 2020, JAMA Cardiology
- Special Coding Advice During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency – March 25, 2020, American Medical Association
- Updated FDA FAQs on Diagnostic Testing for SARS-CoV-2 - March 23, 2020, FDA
- CMS Eases QPP Reporting Requirements – March 22, 2020, CMS
- CMS Recommends Limiting Nonessential Adult Elective Procedures and Surgeries – March 15, 2020, CMS
- CMS Relaxes Requirements for Medicare’s Telehealth Billing – March 17, 2020, CMS
- SCCT for Use of Cardiac Computed Tomography Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
- HFSA/ACC/AHA statement Addresses Concerns Re: Using RAAS Antagonists in COVID-19 - March 17, 2020, ACC
- Notification of Enforcement Discretion for telehealth remote communications during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency - March 17, 2020, HHS.gov
- ASNC monitoring potential Mo-99 supply shortages due to COVID-19 - March 16, 2020, Health Imaging
- New CPT Code Announced to Report Novel Coronavirus Test - March 13, 2020, AMA
- COVID-19 and the Heart: Insights From the Front Lines - March 12, 2020, tctMD
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Partner Toolkit
- ASNC Staffing Update
Private Payer Coverage for COVID-19
March 26, 2020
The following summarizes the policies that major private payers have released to date for COVID-19 testing and telehealth service expansion. Download a PDF version.
Cigna
- Will cover diagnostic testing and treatment for COVID-19.
- Will waive out of pocket costs for COVID-19 visits with providers through May 31,2020.
- Waiving out of pocket costs for FDA approved COVID-19 testing. Only a health care provider of hospital can administer the test and send sample to an approved lab for results.
- Cigna will cover treatment associated with COVID-19 though out of pocket costs may apply
- Cigna will cover virtual care screening related to screening, diagnosis or testing for COVID-19. Out of pocket costs will be waived.
- Virtual care NOT related to COVID-19 will be covered by physicians and provider with virtual care capabilities through May 31,2020. Out of pocket costs may apply.
United Healthcare
- UHC is waiving cost sharing for COVID-19 testing and visits associated with COVID-19 regardless of whether the visit is in a provider’s office, an urgent care center, or in an Emergency Department. This applies to Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and employer sponsored plans.
- Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Member can continue access existing telehealth benefit through designated UHC partners without cost sharing. Cost sharing for members with a telehealth benefit through their employer-sponsored plan will be waived through June 18, 2020.
- COVID-19 related telehealth visits will have cost-sharing waived during the national emergency.
Humana
- Testing is fully covered. Testing for COVID-19 will be fully covered with no out-of-pocket costs for patients who meet CDC guidelines at approved laboratory locations. This applies to members of Humana’s Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial employer-sponsored plans.
- Telemedicine visits for all urgent care needs are fully covered. Humana is encouraging members to use telemedicine (e.g.., video chat) as a first line of defense for all urgent care needs. Humana will waive out-of-pocket costs for telemedicine visits for urgent care needs for the next 90 days. This will apply to Humana’s Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial employer-sponsored plans, and is limited to in-network providers delivering live video-conferencing.
Blue Cross Blue Shield
- All 36 independently-operated BCBS companies and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program® (FEP®) are expanding coverage for telehealth services for the next 90 days (beginning March 19, 2020). The expanded coverage includes waiving cost-sharing for telehealth services for fully-insured members and applies to in network telehealth providers who are providing appropriate medical services.
- BCBS will waive prior authorizations for diagnostic tests and for covered services that are medically necessary and consistent with CDC guidance for members if diagnosed with COVID-19.
- BCBS will cover medically necessary diagnostic tests that are consistent with CDC guidance related to the COVID-19 at no cost share to member.
- For further detail on blue cross blue shield plans by state, click here.
Aetna
- Aetna is waiving co-pays and applying no cost-sharing for all diagnostic testing related to COVID-19. This policy will cover the cost of a physician-ordered test and the physician visit that results in a COVID-19 test, which can be done in any approved laboratory location.
- For the next 90 days, until June 4, 2020, Aetna will waive member cost sharing for any covered telemedicine visits – regardless of diagnosis.
- All Anthem plans now cover COVID-19 testing and the care visit where the test takes place with no out-of-pocket costs.
- If you’re diagnosed as having COVID-19, your Anthem health plan benefits apply to treatment.
- Anthem is expanding your telehealth benefits. Not only do your benefits include connecting with a doctor through the Sydney Care mobile app’s Virtual Care text session or LiveHealth Online video, but now they also cover telehealth visits by phone with the primary care doctor in your plan until June 14, 2020.
- You can get one Virtual Care text session at no cost between now and June 14, 2020. Additional Virtual Care text sessions cost $19 each. Telehealth visits through LiveHealth Online or other telehealth technologies that primary care doctors in your plan use are available to you at no cost between now and June 14, 2020.
- Most plans include telehealth as part of their benefits. If telehealth isn’t part of your plan’s benefits, you may have out-of-pocket expenses to use telehealth services after June 14, 2020.
Advocacy Alerts
- Advocacy Tool: Use This New ASNC Template to Appeal Absolute Quantitation of Myocardial Blood Flow (AQMBF) Claim Denials
- CMS Finalizes CY2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule - Payment Cut to Physicians Imminent: TAKE ACTION NOW.
- Congress Must Act to Fortify Health Care System and Protect Access to Care
- ASNC Urges Congressional Action on COVID-19 Response
ASNC joined the AMA in a letter urging Congress to require all payers to provide coverage for audio-only telehealth visits with patients, financial support to practices on the front lines of COVID-19 testing and treatment, and financial support to practices experiencing financial impacts from canceling elective visits and procedures.
- How to Use the New Absolute Quantitation of Myocardial Blood Flow Code
- ASNC, Partner Groups Submit Comments on Cardiac PET Reimbursement to CMS
- Myocardial PET Spared Drastic Payment Cuts for 2020
- Latest Advocacy News on our Blog
- ASNC Advocacy Updates