EXCLUSIVE: The COVID-19 Impact on Medicare Appeals

“Although Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) office space is closed to the general public, OMHA remains open for business with employees working under maximum telework flexibilities, per U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance.” -OMHA website.

Indeed, “OMHA hearings and appeals processing measures are proceeding as scheduled,” the notice reads. “Unless an appellant is notified directly that a hearing has been postponed or canceled, appellants should continue to appear for hearings by telephone, as scheduled.”

Through teleconferencing and phone calls, many administrative law judges (ALJs) are exercising flexibility in rescheduling such hearings or granting extensions to file for a hearing. Furthermore, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has suspended new Medicare fee-for-service audits through the duration of the public health emergency, as you’ll hear more about during this edition of Monitor Mondays. Reporting our lead story during the weekly broadcast will be Andrew Wachler, Esq., a familiar figure at OMHA and managing partner of Wachler & Associates.

Other segments to be featured during the live broadcast include the following:

• RAC Report: Healthcare attorney Knicole Emanuel, a partner in the Potomac Law Group, files the Monitor Mondays RAC Report.
• SDoH Report: Ellen Fink-Samnick, a nationally recognized expert on the social determinants of health (SDoH), reports on the news that’s happening at the intersection of COVID-19 and SdoH. Ellen will also conduct the Monitor Mondays Listener Survey.
• Legislative Update: Former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) official Matthew Albright, now chief legislative affairs officer for Zelis, reports on the status of healthcare legislation associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
• Risky Business: Healthcare attorney David Glaser, shareholder in the law offices of Fredrickson & Bryon, joins the broadcast with his trademark segment, reporting on telehealth therapy.
• Monday Rounds: Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president of R1 RCM,  makes his Monday Rounds with another installment of his popular segment.
• COVID Q&A: Navigating COVID-19 guidance continues to be a major challenge for healthcare professionals – and that is why Monitor Mondays will devote additional time during this live broadcast to answer your questions.