COVID-19 UPDATES

We are all being bombarded by COVID-19 information which is changing daily. EHI is trying to filter for you the most relevant information. For the latest Hawai’i Department of Health COVID-19 updates log on to: hawaiicovid19.com. Sign up to receive updates at  health.hawaii.gov/updates. Here is a direct link to the DOH Medical Advisories including the recently updated ones. EHI’s recommended COVID-19 guidelines are here attachment. We welcome suggestions regarding what information is most useful.

*NEW* Payroll Protection Program (PPP)   Attached is a summary of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) to provide financial relief for small businesses. Click here for the application. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND you apply by TOMORROW, APRIL 3, if you are an LLC or corporation. Sole proprietors and independent contractors may start applying on APRIL 10. Attached are links to: Central Pacific Bank, American Savings Bank, First Hawaiian Bank, and Bank of Hawaii, who will handle the loan applications. If you need help completing your application, please contact Jo Vitales at jvitales@ehiipa.com or call 808-797-3113 to schedule a time for us to help complete your application.

*NEW* Behavioral Health Screening Hotline   EHI IPA is opening up its behavioral health services to ALL provider members until further notice. The outbreak of COVID-19 may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Please refer your patients for behavioral health screenings and education on coping with stress and anxiety to our behavioral health care manager Kevin Larkin. Referral is easy—simply call us at (808) 829-4622 to provide patient name and contact number. You can also share this number with your patients to contact us directly. Workflow for this service is available here.

*NEW* Hilo Medical Centers 5-Stage COVID-19 Management Plan   Hilo Medical Center reports that they are currently in Stage 2 of their 5-Stage COVID-19 Management Plan. They are preparing for Stage 3 where care provided at their facility manages Community Spread infections. This process includes continuous recruiting for emergency hire positions to ensure their staffing meets current and future needs, as well as requesting donations for medical grade PPE.

Hilo Medical Center (HMC) Asking for Provider Volunteers   HMC has detailed plans in place to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. HMC will not have enough licensed providers to handle the anticipated flood of patients requiring hospitalization. They need to rely on our network of independent community providers. We shared with HMC that our provider members are currently on the front line, managing patients to keep them out of the hospital and ER as much as possible, helping them postpone elective procedures and providing invaluable education. Our goal is to help prevent a tsunami of cases from ever reaching the hospital and keeping our providers and staff healthy and safe so we are available to serve the community. Attached is a letter asking physicians to sign up and applicable forms (here, here, here, and here). Compensation and insurance are available for anyone who chooses to serve. If you are interested in signing up, please contact Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com 808-797-3113.

*NEW* COVID-19 Presentation by Dr. Curtis Toma, Med-Quest Medical Director – Monday, April 6, 12 PM HST   Register in advance to join the webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

COVID-19 Employment Guidelines & FAQ   America’s Physician Groups (APG) shared a guideline (here) for employers as a resource.

*NEW* Editorial: “Neighbor islands need protection”   Read here.

TESTING

*NEW* Screening & Testing in Hilo & Pahoa

Attached is the fact sheet with total counts of beds, ventilators, testing and PPE resources as of 4/1/20. HMC Drive-through COVID-19 testing is open on weekdays from 10 AM-2 PM. Pahoa testing site is open on weekdays from 9 AM-4 PM. For Pahoa, patients need to check-in, but no physician lab order is required. HMC’s COVID-19 hotline for health-related questions open from 8 AM-5 PM at 808-932-000 and press 8.

Hilo Medical Center COVID-19 Drive-Up Testing

Drive-Up COVID-19 testing continues to be available at Hilo Medical Center. Providers MUST SCREEN ALL PATIENTS for travel history & symptoms prior to sending them for testing. It is important to know that this service is for COVID-19 testing ONLY (Respiratory Panel & Influenza NOT included). To utilize these services:

  1. Complete a CLH lab requisition (or electronic order from your EHR)

  2. Write in the COVID‐19 Test code U685 in the miscellaneous field, then fill in an ICD‐10, note on req “For HMC Drive-Through Testing”

  3. If faxing paper requisition, fax to CLH Hilo Medical Center location at  (808) 935‐6928

Attached is the announcement with more details.

COVID-19 TESTING CRITERIA AND SPECIMENT COLLECTION PROCESS

Clinical Labs of Hawaii has updated their specimen collection guidelines. They have combined flu/respiratory panel kits and COVID-19 kits into ONE simple kit. Only ONE (1) nasopharyngeal swab in viral media is now required for any of the tests noted above. Per CDC recommendations, an Oropharyngeal (OP) swab is acceptable if NP swabs are not available if only ordering COVID-19 (attached). Contact CLH Account Services Representative Jacqueline Kopie at 808-987-7439 if you have any questions or need testing supplies.

Diagnostic Laboratory Services has provided the following ordering guidelines. Use the following:

  • SARS SOV-2 RNA (COVID-19) (DLS7180) – for sending out COVID-19 test to Quest

  • Influenza A/B w/Reflex to COVID-19 (DLS6234R) – influenza a/b reflex to COVID-19

TELEHEALTH BILLING

*NEW* New eCW TeleHealth Feature   eCW released a new feature today that allows patients to quickly and easily connect to their TeleVisit directly from a text message. No Healow App download or login to patient portal required! Patient Instructions for this new feature is available here. Instructions to enable this function in your system here.

*NEW*  Telemedicine: Codes, Connectivity & Considerations – April 21, 2020 12:30-1:30 PM Webinar   Leolinda Ioepa will be presenting a comprehensive roadmap to using telemedicine in Hawaii for adult and pediatric patients. This session will include a checklist for having effective telemedicine visits, a coding guide, and review of IT connection options. If you are interested in registering, please use this LINK.

COVID-19 Information & Resources from HMSA   Please see attached announcement from HMSA President & CEO Dr. Mark Mugiishi that is being sent to all PCPs (here).  The HOC (HMSA Online Care) PRC site is now live. You can find it under the “working with HMSA” top navigation and it’s under both “news” and “FAQ,” or by searching for “HOC” or “HMSA’s Online Care.” HMSA also added a link to the HOC page on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) page.

CONTACT TIFFANY PA at tiffany_pa@hmsa.com or call 808.630.5020 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

Medicare Telemedicine Healthcare Provider Fact Sheet   The links attached (here and here) provides regularly updated information on Medicare telemedicine visits and reimbursement.

HMSA Telehealth Services Policy   HMSA encourages all members to use telehealth services when healthcare is needed to comply with the stay-at-home mandate currently in effect. HMSA will waive all cost sharing and deductibles for fully insured Commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid members who use telehealth visits, virtual check-ins, and e-visits during this period of emergency declaration (through May 15). See attached chart of billing codes to use for virtual visits. Visit the FAQ here. Please email PSInquiries@hmsa.com with any questions on this updated policy.

RESOURCES

*NEW* PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) How-to Video   Attached is a video on how to safely don, use, and remove PPE (click here).

COVID-19 Precautions Video   Attached is a video on basic information regarding COVID-19 to send to your patients using the link (here).

CDC COVID-19 Flyers   Attached are flyers and factsheets regarding COVID-19 (here, here, here, here, here, here, here). The IPA can print these in bulk for your office. Please email Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com if you would like us to print for you. For more information on COVID-19, please refer to the CDC website here.

HMSA PAYMENT TRANSFORMATION

*NEW* HMSA COVID-19 Telehealth FAQs   HMSA put together a FAQ list regarding their telehealth services. They will send out a letter to all Payment Transformation PCPs. See letter and FAQ list here.

Attribution Process Updates for Medicare and Quest   HMSA sent out a letter containing the most recent information which links Medicare and Quest members to a PCP that they were previously attributed to, or to a PCP last seen. Please see attached letter for more details.

Payment Transformation Monthly Attribution Reconciliation   Attached is a video on the importance of reconciling the monthly attribution lists you receive from HMSA through EHI IPA.

EVENTS

*NEW* Annual General Membership Meeting & Election (UPDATE) – Wednesday, April 29, 5:30 PM – Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the annual meeting and election will be held via webinar.  The Executive Committee confirmed the nominees at a meeting held on April 1, 2020. Attached are the statements for the Board candidates running for open Board positions. Absentee ballots will be sent to your office BY MAIL.  Please fax your form to 808-935-4472 or mail it to our office in a confidential envelope at 670 Ponahawai St., Ste. 117, Hilo. We must receive your ballot by noon Tuesday, April 28.  No exceptions.  The IPA office is open for deliveries.  If you plan to drop off your ballot in person, please call in advance at 808-797-3113. If you have any questions, please email Jo at jvitales@ehiipa.com or call 808-797-3113.