On April 7, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) joined a number of other medical organizations in asking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Department Secretary Alex Azar to provide funding through a grant or other mechanism to ensure a sufficient physician workforce is available now and throughout the pandemic.
The letter recommends that HHS provide one month of revenue to each physician (MD or DO), nurse practitioner, and physician assistant enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid to account for financial losses and non-reimbursable expenses.
HHS should use an individual’s average monthly payment amount from October-December 2019, as provided to the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), as the basis for determining pre-pandemic monthly revenue.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act permits the Secretary to provide funding through a grant or other mechanism. The letter urges the Department to provide immediate financial relief by issuing funds via the MACs.
On April 10, HHS began making payments via direct deposit to eligible providers throughout the American healthcare system. These are payments, not loans, and will not need to be re-paid. The initial $30 billion is being distributed to facilities, physicians, and other healthcare professionals that received Medicare fee-for-service reimbursement in 2019. For additional information, visit the AAFP website.