April 2023 Ebrief

The End of the Pandemic- What that means in Florida!
On May 11, 2023 the Public Health Emergency (PHE) status tied to COVID-19 will expire and many of the provisions and exceptions tied to the active PHE will expire as well. What does that mean for Radiology practices in the state of Florida?

Vaccinations, Testing and Treatment
These will shift into a traditional healthcare coverage model.  As a preventative vaccine, most commercial insurances will continue to cover fully. However, the requirement for covering COVID testing and over the counter tests will end, meaning plans can determine their continued coverage. Medicare will continue to cover testing without cost sharing; however, Medicaid will only be required to cover vaccinations without cost sharing through Sept 30, 2024. After that, it will be up to the states to define.

HIPAA & Telehealth
Medicare and Medicaid telehealth flexibilities will expire December 31, 2024. HIPAA penalties that were waived while providing telehealth services (FaceTime, Skype etc) will resume May 11, 2023. The ability for insurances to cover telehealth visits is plan determinable.

Hospitals
Hospitals will no longer be able to use expansion sites (areas not configured for patient rooms) as of May, 11, 2023. In addition, the 20% add-on payments for patients with a diagnosis of Covid-19 will end as of that date. Hospitals initially were required by CMS to submit Covid-19 data as a condition for participation through the end of PHE. However, the 2023 PPS final rule extended the reporting through April 30, 2024, unless HHS announces an earlier date.

Direct Supervision
The ability to provide direct supervision for diagnostic services via audio/video real time communication will end December, 31, 2023.

Medicaid
The additional federal funding to the state Medicaid programs will end on December 31, 2023. However, as a result of legislative changes in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, the continuous coverage provision will end as of March 31, 2023.  Florida’s Medicaid enrollment skyrocketed during the PHE from 3.8 million in March 2020 to 5.5 million as of November 2022. The state will now have 12 months to complete reviews for eligible recipients as it restores pre-pandemic processing.  As no specific timeline or “order” of process has been revealed by the state, it will be very important that radiology providers run eligibility for their Medicaid patients on the date of service for their exams beginning in May 1, 2023.  

Other Areas
Waivers and exceptions tied to PHE in the areas of liability for treatment of COVID-10, Skilled Nursing facilities staff and patient admission requirements, COBRA considerations and telehealth for cardiac and pulmonary services.

Most of our practices have reverted to what we consider pre-pandemic “normal”, so many of these PHE based provisions have become part of our normalcy. It is key to review and be aware how the untying or ending of these provisions created during the PHE may affect our hospitals

This year’s opening session was kicked off by the Residents Annual visit to the State Capitol to learn about the legislative process at the state level.

Dr. Charles Williams and his beautiful wife Pat welcomed the group to Tallahassee.  Dr. Williams did an amazing job communicating to them the importance and benefits to them personally and professionally in being involved in FRS. 

President Desai and this year’s residents, Dr. Sofia Vianna (Mt Sinai), Dr Andrew Dakkak (Advent Health Orlando), and Dr. Cameron Overfield (Mayo Clinic) had an opportunity to meet and lobby many members on the tort reform bill that was flying through the House and Senate. The bill passed and was signed into law by the Governor on 3/24/23. The doctors were caught between the insurance companies and the trial attorneys regarding payment as relates to patients who were in the midst of a suit due to the injury they sustained.

SB 614 by Senator Harrell and companion bill HB 1059 by Representative Cassello removing the sunset date from current law relating to the dense breast reporting lay letter has been amended in both bills.  The sunset date is now 9/10/2024 which is when the FDA- MQSA lay letters will be required. The Senate bill is in the House in messages and the bill still has to pass the House to make it to the Governor’s desk.

Senator Harrell and Representative “Dr” Massulo (dermatologist) have bills SB 230/ HB 583 that relate to health care practitioners’ titles and abbreviations. The Senate bill is in messages to the House and the House bill is making its way through the committee process. This is a priority bill for Senate President Passidomo.

HB 1145 by Representative Snyder relates to foreign trained doctors. The bill provides alternative to approved residency requirement for foreign trained physicians. The companion measure is SB 956 by Senator Garcia. These bills are moving through the process and have been proposed to increase the number of physicians in the state. The devil is in the details, but the sponsors are willing to work with us and the FMA on the bill language.

We are about halfway through the Session, and the House and Senate budgets have been released. They are taking a small break to celebrate Easter and Passover, and the budget negotiations will start in earnest after the break. The two bodies are only $700 million apart; so, no overtime is being anticipated.

There’s also proposed funding in the budget to increase funding for residency as another effort to add more physicians in the state.

Please contact me if you have any questions relating to the legislative session.

H. Martin Northup Resident Leadership Award – A scholarship opportunity for Florida Diagnostic Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Medical Physicist 2nd year Residents or graduate students.

Martin Northup was very committed to radiology resident education and advancement. To eternally honor and remember him, the board of the FRS Foundation has established a special award bearing his name, the “H Martin Northup Resident Leadership Award.” Each year, this award will be given to a 2nd year Florida radiology resident who will be a 3rd year at the time of the fellowship to support the cost of accommodations for attending the FRS annual summer meeting. The resident will have an officer mentor and will attend all functions including the board meeting. The goal is to develop future leaders in Radiology and develop promising residents to assume greater roles in the society, such as President of the Resident and Fellow’s Section. The award recipient will be chosen for the 2023 Annual Meeting in Sarasota, Florida, July 14-16, 2023 by the Scholarships and Grants committee based on a competitive application process.

Please check with your Program Director to be considered for this opportunity and to complete the application.  Return your completed application to lroger@edusymp.com by May 15, 2023 in order to be considered for this award.

Thank you,

If you think you meet these criteria and wish to apply to become an ACR fellow with Florida chapter nomination please contact the FRS at lroger@edusymp.com. Years in training do not count as member years.

If you are applying for Fellowship, the Chapter Deadline is May 31st.

As an FMA/FRS Delegate you would attend the House of Delegates meeting to represent the interests of the FRS with other FMA/FRS delegates.  Below is the FMA official description: 

The FMA House of Delegates (House) is the legislative and business body of the FMA. Its members are the officers of the FMA, the elected members of the Board of Governors, and the delegates officially elected by the component societies, specialty societies, Specialty Society Section, Young Physicians Section, Medical Student Section, Resident & Fellow Section and the FMA Alliance. The House meets annually at a time and location determined by the FMA Board of Governors. It is the responsibility of the Speaker of the House to prepare the agenda and assure consideration and completion of its business.

The business of the formal sessions of House is established by a blend of tradition and requirements of the Association’s charter and bylaws, and includes:

• Setting policy for the FMA by acting on recommendations from the Board of Governors and resolutions presented by component county medical societies, recognized specialty medical societies, special sections and delegates.
  
  
• Hearing addresses and reports from the Treasurer, Speaker, and outgoing and incoming Presidents.
  
  
• Presenting awards recognizing distinguished work by members of the FMA and others whom the FMA decides to honor.
  
  
• Electing Officers, Board members and AMA Delegates.

The 2023 FMA Annual Meeting • July 28-30 • Hyatt Regency Orlando

The first House is scheduled to meet on Saturday, July 29, from 8-9:30 a.m., followed by four Reference Committee hearings from 10-11:30 a.m. The House will reconvene on Sunday, July 30, from 8 a.m.-noon. For a complete guide to the process by which the FMA House transacts business, click here. For all things House of Delegates related, click here.

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