Virus and Vaccine Resources
Practicing basic safety measures during cold and flu season is absolutely critical to helping slow the spread of disease in our communities. This page is intended to connect providers and patients with helpful resources related to infectious and viral illness.
COVID-19
- COVID-19 Vaccination in Iowa - IDPH Planning & Distribution Update Summaries
- Physician FAQ on COVID-19 Vaccine Authorization, Allocation, Distribution, and Administration
- COVID Considerations Webinar: Healthcare Worker Vaccination and Employer Mandates
- Iowa COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Model Flowchart
- CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Operations Annex
- CDC COVID-19 Immunization Schedule for 6 months of age and older
- CDC Summary Document for Interim Clinical Considerations for the Use of COVID vaccines
- Special Situations for COVID-19 Vaccination for Children and Adolescents (Age Transitions/Interchangeability)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety Information (MMWR reports)
- CDC Vaccination Program Interim Playbook
- COVID-19 Vaccine Training Module
- COVID-19 Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit
- CDC Product Information Guide for COVID-19 Vaccine and Associated Products
- COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement
- COVID-19 Vaccine Training Module
- IDPH COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Agreement - REDCap Survey FAQs
- State REDCap Survey: COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement
- IMS Meeting Summary: IDPH COVID-19 Vaccine Planning & Distribution Workgroup
- IDPH COVID-19 Vaccine Information Page
- IDPH COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Agreement - REDCap Survey FAQs
- Iowa COVID-19 Vaccine Planning Brief
- Infectious Disease Advisory Council Recommendations
Provider Personal Protection
- IMS Letter: Protecting Yourself and Loved Ones from COVID-19
- ACEP: COVID-19 Personal Checklist
- CDC: Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPEquipment
- NETEC: Personal Protective Equipment for COVID-19
- CDC: Updated Interim COVID-19 Infection Prevention & Control Recommendations
Liability Protections
Staffing Resources
- AMA: Practice Reopening Guide
- Financial Planning - Foster Group Webinar: "Money & Time, In Balance or Burning Out?"
- COVID Considerations Webinar: Healthcare Worker Vaccination and Employer Mandates
- Leaves, Layoffs, and Furloughs: Navigating Resources to Temporarily Reduce Clinic Staff
- Presenter Slides
- COVID-19 and Unemployment Insurance Benefits for Employers
- COVID-19 and Unemployment Insurance Benefits for Workers
- Paycheck Protection Program
- Davis Brown Law Firm Webinar: Contracts and COVID-19: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know
- Webinar: A Doctor's Guide to Financial Planning Through a Crisis
Billing & Coding
Medicare
- WPS Medicare J-5 Provider Portal
- CMS: Medicare Coverage & Payment Related to COVID-19
- CMS: Confirmation of Coverage for COVID Counseling
Medicaid
UnitedHealthcare
- Prior Authorization Updates
- Updated Diagnosis & Laboratory Codes
- UHC: Summary of COVID-19 Dates by Program
Administrative Resources
- CMS: Relaxed Medicare CMS Provider Enrollment FAQ
- DHS: Childcare Resources in Response to COVID-19
- CMS: Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers (4/30/2020 Update)
Federal Assistance Programs
CARES Act Provider Relief Fund
HHS partnered with UnitedHealth Group (UHG) to deliver the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund payments. Physicians with inquiries about the status of their payments should contact UHG Provider Relations. Upon receiving funds, providers have 45 days from the date of payment to complete the payment attestation and agree to the terms and conditions. Practices that do not already have direct deposit through CMS or UHG’s Optum Pay, will receive a paper check unless they call UHG to set up direct deposit.
- UHG Provider Relations: (866) 569-3522
- CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal
- CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Terms & Conditions
- CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Information Page
- CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Fact Sheet
- CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Initial Distribution by State
- AMA: CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Application Guide
- AMA: Guidance for HHS General Allocation Fund Portal
- HHS Fact Sheet: Provider Relief Fund General Distribution 2
- HHS: CARES Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal
- Provider Relief Fund: A Step by Step Guide (HRSA)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Information regarding Medicare payment changes to provide additional resources for impacted practices.
- 2020
- Friday, March 20
- Friday, March 27
- Friday, April 10
- Friday, April 17
- Friday, April 24
- Friday, May 1
- Friday, May 8
- Friday, May 15
- Friday, May 22
- Friday, May 29
- Friday, June 12
- Friday, June 26
- Friday, July 31
- Friday, August 28
- Friday, September 25
- Friday, October 30
- Friday, November 18
- Friday, December 18
2021
- Friday, January 29
- Friday, February 26
- Friday, March 26
- Friday, April 30
- Friday, May 28
- Friday, August 27
- Friday, September 24
Thank you to our sponsor for supporting our physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
RSV
We are aware of rising rates of infection, severe illness, and hospitalization among our pediatric populations in Iowa, particularly with RSV. The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a number of resources to assist providers in managing patient populations and workforce considerations during this time of increasing rates.
Compounding the rise in pediatric respiratory illness is a nationwide amoxicillin shortage. IMS is engaging with health system partners and health department leadership to assist in system-wide strategies to help mitigate the impact of this shortage. In the interim, AAP has provided this guidance for antibiotic options in lieu of amoxicillin availability.
- Medication Shortage Updates per FDA – Region VII Disaster Health Response Ecosystem Pediatric Acute Care Meeting (December 5, 2022)
- Amoxicillin Shortage: Antibiotic Options for Common Pediatric Conditions
- National Amoxicillin Shortage: Prioritization and Alternatives for Common Pediatric Infections – Children’s Mercy Kansas City
- Outpatient Antibiotic Handbook – Children’s Mercy Kansas City
- Drug Shortage or Supply Issue Reporting to FDA
The AAP offers updated recommendations for caring for patients during surges in volume in all practice settings, including ambulatory care, community hospitals, and tertiary or children's hospitals. AAP has also updated its interim guidance on the use of palivizumab prophylaxis, including the option to offer more than 5 doses.
- Interim Guidance: Caring for Patients in Inpatient and Outpatient Settings During Episodes of Surge
- Interim Guidance: Use of Palivizumab Prophylaxis to Prevent Hospitalization From Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection During the 2022-2023 RSV Season
- AAP News: AAP Updates Interim Guidance on Preventing Severe RSV, Handling Surge of Patients
- News Release: American Academy of Pediatrics Offers Guidance on RSV Prophylaxis, Handling Surge of Pediatric Patients with Respiratory Infections
- Respiratory Distress for Pediatric Providers – Provider Resources – Region VII Disaster Health Response Ecosystem
The Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response launched a website to help address the current pediatric surge in respiratory illnesses that is impacting hospital capacity nationwide. The website includes a resource library, assistance center and an information exchange discussion board to allow for near-real time engagement among users. ASPR is encouraging stakeholders who work in health care, emergency preparedness and management, and disaster medicine to engage and share these materials.
- AAP Journals: RSV Pediatric Collections Open Access Articles
- AAP Webinar Recording: Improving Your Practice's Ventilation During the Current Surge
- Animated Video: Distressed RSV Breathing in a Baby
- Instagram Video: What Does RSV Sound Like?
- Pediatrician Video: Discussing the RSV Surge with Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP
- HealthyChildren.org: RSV: When It's More Than Just a Cold
- HealthyChildren.org: COVID, Flu & RSV: How Are These Respiratory Illnesses Different?
- HealthyChildren.org: RSV Webinar for Parents
Telehealth
State and federal officials, as well as commercial payers, have implemented numerous policy and regulatory changes in recent weeks to help practices implement more wide-spread telehealth services. To help practices make sense of it all, IMS has arranged for Katie Fergus, President of Des Moines-based PractiSynergy, provide an overview of both the national and state-specific billing and coding changes that have been implemented.
- April 8 Webinar / Presenter Slides
The federal CARES Act provided $200 million for the creation of a COVID-19 Telehealth Program to support qualifying providers’ telecommunications, information services, and device expenses related to the provision of telehealth services. Applications for this rolling funding opportunity are now being accepted.
CMS Announces Expanded Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries
- Provider Fact Sheet
- Medicare FAQ Document
- Medicare COVID-19 Telehealth FAQ video
- CMS: Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers (4/30/2020 Update)
- Medicare COVID-19 Telehealth FAQ video
- CMS: Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers (4/30/2020 Update)
- CMS: Medicare Telehealth & Payment FAQ Video
Proposed CY 21 Physician Fee Schedule Extends COVID-19 Telehealth Policies
CMS has published the proposed Calendar Year 2021 Physician Fee Schedule, which includes both permanent and temporary extensions of many telehealth coverage expansions and policy flexibilities that were initially implemented in response to COVID-19.
HHS Office of Civil Rights Easing Enforcement of HIPAA Standards for Telehealth Services
AHRQ COVID-19 Telehealth White Paper
The AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center has published a new white paper using existing research to contextualize the rapid expansion of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic and help inform clinical decision making.
FAQ's:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
IME continues to release informational letters for billing services related to coronavirus and COVID-19 for both managed care and fee for service.
- IME Informational Letter No. 2119 – Update to Billing Services Related to Coronavirus and COVID-19 (3/19/2020)
- IME Informational Letter No. 2115 – Billing Services Related to Coronavirus and COVID-19 (3/11/2020)
- IME Informational Letter No. 2125 – Medicaid Waivers & FAQ Documents
- IME Informational Letter No. 2126 – Telehealth Billing Guidance
Wellmark
Wellmark has announced that it will waive telehealth credentialing standards, allow telephonic visits, and ensure payment parity for telehealth services.
- COVID-19 Provider Communication
- Telehealth Coverage Update Press Release (3/19/2020)
- Details Available in Wellmark Provider Portal
Wellmark to Continue Paying Health Care Providers the Same for Virtual Visits Until Feb. 1 2021 (6/17/2020) - This applies to all appropriate medical and behavioral health virtual visits with any Wellmark in-network provider in Iowa.
UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare has announced it will waive telehealth originating site restrictions, cover select audio-only visits, and ensure payment parity for telehealth services. Effective May 11, 2020, UHC will require that telehealth visits with Medicare Advantage patients, including DSNP patients, be performed utilizing an interactive audio-video platform, unless otherwise indicated as a covered audio-only visit in the May 1, 2020, CMS telehealth announcement.
- UHC Provider Telehealth Policies
- UHC COVID-19 Telehealth FAQ Document
- Telehealth Updates
- UHC May 8 COVID-19 Notice
- CMS May 1 Telehealth Announcement
UnitedHealthcare Extends COVID-19 Temporary Telehealth Expansion and Cost Share Waivers - 6/17/2020
UnitedHealthcare is temporarily expanding the dates through which they are waiving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) originating site requirements for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and Individual and fully insured Group Market health plan members.
Several partner organizations have developed resources to help practices understand the changing telehealth landscape. They have graciously allowed IMS to share these on this resource page.
Paramount Health Options
Paramount Health Options has assembled a telehealth billing and coding quick reference guide for commercial insurers.
- PHO Telehealth Billing & Coding Quick Reference Guide
Iowa Medical Group Management Association (IMGMA)
The IMGMA Payer Relations Committee has developed resources and assembled additional resources from their national partners to assist with telehealth information.
(Note: Due to Capacity, Live Webinars are Available Only to IMGMA Members; Recorded Webinars and Handouts are Available to Anyone)