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In enacting the CARES Act, Congress did not specifically address the taxation of the Relief Payments. Although the IRS’s position is that its FAQ guidance is not citable as legal authority, it seems clear that the IRS expects taxpayers to rely on these FAQs and other recently issued FAQs to meet their federal income tax obligations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has frequently updated its Relief Payments FAQs since April

The deadline to apply for the HHS Provider Relief Fund for Medicaid/CHIP providers who did not receive any relief payments during the Medicare-based General Distribution has been extended until September 13th, 2020. Providers who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19, meet all of the other eligibility requirements, and can agree to the terms and conditions associated with the program are encouraged to apply for this relief fund. Originally, the application deadline was August 28th. Click here

There have been a few changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) since April. In our recent Town Hall Webinar, Craig Douglas went over this program in detail. The application window for this program was closed for the second time on August 8th. Watch the Recording      Slide Deck To refresh your memory, the PPP has a max loan size equivalent to 2.5 times the employer’s average monthly payroll, up to $10 million. The PPP loans have an interest rate of 1%.

The Essentially Women Town Hall meeting on August 25th featured a panel of 3 EW members who talked about their experiences during the pandemic with Nikki Jensen. Check out the full panel discussion video at the bottom of the blog. Here are some highlights from the discussion. Tink Newcomb, MBA, CECMS, CCT Prairie Medical Meridian, ID Q: Were you open during the pandemic? And if so, were you appointment only? A: Because of pneumatic compression, we were considered essential. We were closed

We ran short on time on the EW Town Hall Meeting the other day to be able to share this video so I’m sharing it with everyone now.   I had reached out to Ty Bello prior to our webinar and asked him to provide some encouraging words - knowing many of you are facing challenges with patients feeling comfortable to come in for the face-to-face fittings as they did before the pandemic.  For those of you who have not had the opportunity to know Ty Bello, he is a well-known

August 1-7 each year is World Breastfeeding Week. Additionally, August is celebrated as National Breastfeeding Month all month long. This year’s World Breastfeeding Week focuses on how breastfeeding can improve the environment and climate change. According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), 720,450 metric tonnes of milk formula sold annually in 6 Asian countries generated almost 2.9 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases. This is equivalent to nearly 7,000 million

Last March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we thought it could last a long time, but we all hoped it would be over by October. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. We are still in the midst of a public health emergency (PHE) and we are coming up on what is typically our busiest season, Breast Cancer Awareness month and the fourth quarter. Many of your typical charity events, awareness walks/runs, and in-store events will either look different or be canceled altogether. However, many

As businesses reopen, you may be calling back employees who were placed on a temporary layoff or furlough due to COVID-19. What do you do if you have employees who refuse to come to work? They may have concerns about getting COVID-19, have issues with childcare, or they may be making more money on unemployment. Each state may differ in their policies on Unemployment Insurance. Check with your state department of labor to see if they have a policy on an employee’s refusal to return to work

August 3rd seems to be an important date for CMS. On August 3rd, the DME MACs, SMRC, and RAC will be able to resume audit activity.  Here is a recent update from the “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Provider Burden Relief Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” that are attached as well.  Prior Authorizations will resume as business as usual for PMDs and Group 2 Support Surfaces.  Also, the lower limb prosthetics (6 codes) will begin prior authorization activity

We all know that the women’s health industry has changed throughout the years. For Nancy Gunderson, this change is a good thing. Celebrating her 40th anniversary in the industry, Nancy has had years of experience and has great expertise when it comes to mastectomy fitting. Though many aspects of women’s health have changed over the years, the importance of making personal connections with customers and helping them feel good about themselves is a value that Nancy has carried with her