INFORMATION FOR PHYSICIANS AND PRACTICES ON COVID-19
HHS Releases More Money for Physicians - APPLY NOW Before Funding Runs Out!
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on April 23, 2020, announced a $20 billion phase two round of funding for health care providers from the $175 billion  CARES Act Provider Relief Fund . HHS is dispersing the additional $20 billion to providers to replace lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are grants and do not need to be repaid. More...
Two new FREE COVID-19 webinars this week
The California Medical Association (CMA) is hosting two new COVID-19 webinars this week. These webinars are available free to all interested parties as part of CMA’s ongoing support for physicians during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Medicare for California Physicians During the COVID-19 Crisis

In this webinar, Noridian Medical Director Arthur N. Lurvey, M.D., will discuss Medicare financial updates related to COVID-19, types of telemedicine covered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and many private insurance companies, suspension of some Medicare audits and waivers, and a brief look at eases in documentation and E&M changes.
 
April 28, 2020 - 12:15pm to 1:15pm
 

Reopening a Medical Practice During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many physicians have either closed their practices or greatly curtailed in-person office visits. With the proper safety precautions, physicians may now be in a place to carefully reopen their doors to patients or expand available service offerings. This can help ensure that patients receive needed care and improve practice viability. This webinar will present best practices for physicians who are looking to reopen, in order to keep physicians and their patients safe. The webinar will include a discussion of CMA's “Guidelines and Recommendations for Reopening the Health Care System.”
 
April 30, 2020 - 12:15pm to 1:15pm
 
CMS to collect COVID-19 clinical trial data through QPP
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)  on April 20 announced  it is encouraging physicians who participate in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) to contribute to scientific research regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians may now earn credit in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for participation in a clinical trial and reporting clinical information by attesting to the new COVID-19 Clinical Trials improvement activity. Doing so will provide vital data to help drive improvement in patient care and develop innovative best practices to manage the spread of COVID-19 within communities. More...
CMS suspends advance payment program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Sunday, April 26, 2020 announced that it is suspending its Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program for all Medicare providers. The agency is reevaluating the program in light of the $175 billion in direct payments being made available through U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Provider Relief Fund that was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. More...
President signs $485 billion interim economic relief package
On Thursday, April 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan “Interim Economic Relief” agreement that contains $485 billion in new COVID-19 pandemic funding assistance. President Trump signed the bill on Friday, April 24. More...
CMA FAQ (UPDATED 4/24/20)
Latest COVID-19 Facts
Kern County   ( Kern County Public Health )
Total Resident Cases - 828
Non-Resident Cases - 9
Recovered Residents - 428
Kern Resident Deaths - 5

Co nfirmed Cases - 43,464
Deaths - 1,755

Confirmed Cases - 957,875
Deaths - 53,922

Confirmed Cases - 2,883,603
Deaths - 198,842

All of these numbers were pulled from the respective websites 4/27/20, 4:00PM.