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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services delivered close to $34 billion in Medicare accelerated and advance payments to Part A providers, including hospitals, and Part B suppliers in the past week to combat resource challenges related to COVID-19, the agency yesterday. “Amid a public health storm of unprecedented fury, these payments are helping providers and suppliers — so critical to defeating this terrible virus — stay afloat,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said. The agency said it has reduced the processing time for COVID-19 payment requests under the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program to four to six days.

AHA has urged the agency to reduce the withhold on claims during repayment, and waive or reduce the interest on balances owed on accelerated/advanced payments made during the emergency. For more information, see AHA’s advisories on the CMS expansion of the Medicare Accelerated Payment Program and the clarification of Accelerated/Advanced Payment Programs.