May News Updates from the CDC

20% of Americans experience mental illness each year (see CDC), and it disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority groups (see CDC). During National Mental Health Month, recommend appropriate preventive services, including:

• Depression Screening
• Annual Wellness Visit
• Initial Preventive Physical Exam
• Alcohol Misuse Screening & Counseling

Medicare covers preventive services, and your patients pay nothing if you accept assignment. Find out when your patient is eligible for these services. If you need help, contact your eligibility service provider.

More Information:

• Medicare Mental Health booklet
• Behavioral Health Integration Services booklet
• Depression data snapshot: Learn about disparities in Medicare patients
• Coverage to Care Roadmap to Behavioral Health
• Preventive & Screening Services webpage: Get information for your patients

The public health emergency (PHE) is expected to end on May 11, 2023. Read the Quality, Safety, & Oversight Memorandum to learn about:

• Expiration of emergency waivers related to minimum health and safety requirements for long-term care and acute and continuing care providers
• Timelines for certain regulatory requirements issued during the PHE

Learn about Medicare coverage of over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests during and after the public health emergency (PHE), which is expected to end on May 11, 2023.

Before May 11, patients can get up to 8 free OTC COVID-19 tests per month with no out-of-pocket costs.

After May 11:

• Patients will still have access to laboratory-conducted COVID-19 tests (like PCR tests). Eligible patients will continue to get these lab-conducted tests at no cost, and their annual deductible, coinsurance, and copayment won’t apply.
• OTC tests will still be available, but there may be out-of-pocket costs. Coverage of OTC tests may vary based on your patient’s insurance type.

More Information:

• Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Test Demonstration
• Coverage for Covid-19 Tests: Get information for your Medicare patients

CMS expects the COVID-19 public health emergency to end on May 11, 2023. But, Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) suppliers may continue to offer MDPP services virtually through December 31, 2023, as long as they maintain an in-person CDC organization code. This includes the ability to:

• Collect weight measurements for Medicare patients either through virtual technology, self-reported weight measurements, or both
• Provide all services virtually with no limit to virtual sessions provided

More Information:

• Federal Register notice
• Participants in the MDPP: CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19 fact sheet
• Submit questions through the MDPP Supplier Support Portal