​​​​​​​​​As MDPCP practices, you play an important role in the health and safety of Marylanders. In light of the continued occurrence in positive cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Maryland, the Program Management Office will be providing guidance and updates here specific to primary care practices. The Coronavirus outbreak continues to be a rapidly developing situation in regard to cases, transmission and testing. Thank you for your partnership, and please keep checking here for frequent updates.

Quick Links

External Quick Links

• Governor’s latest orders on COVID-19 can be found here.
• The latest emergency use authorization information from the FDA can be found here.
• Immunet website links for enrollment andreporting. Quick Reference Guide - COVID-19 Vaccine Registration & Ordering
  • Providers should onboard to ImmuNet now as a necessary prerequisite for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The first two links will lead you to the site. After onboarding with ImmuNet, providers should consult the Quick Reference Guide to establish a Vaccines for Children or Non-Vaccines for Children profile
• How COVID-19 has affected primary care providers and how primary care providers have responded to COVID-19 - video from the Primary Care Collaborative

MDPCP Quick Links

• ​Weekly Update from the PMO (PDF updated 07/14/2021)
  • This update provides an overview of events from the PMO, including any COVID-19 updates from the MDPCP practices.
• MDPCP Roadmap to Recovery Part II – COVID Testing
  • This Roadmap provides guidance on COVID-19 testing for MDPCP participants, including who should be tested, office-based testing protocols, reimbursements, and results reporting.
• Viewing COVID-19 Alerts in CRISP
  • This overview provides information about how to view COVID-19 alerts in CRISP, and how to create custom views to do so more efficiently.
• MDPCP Roadmap to Recovery
  • This roadmap provides an overview of how to set up your office and processes to minimize exposure risks for both staff and patients when Maryland is in stages 1 or 2 of COVID-19 response
• Five Things to Do Now to Prevent a Surge
  • This document provides guidance for both steps providers can take and information providers should communicate to patients to prevent COVID-19 surges.
• Managing Health Care Workers Exposed to COVID-19
  • This overview provides primary care practices guidance for what procedures to follow when one of their healthcare workers has been exposed to COVID-19.
• Office/email informational flyer (English/Spanish)
  • This flyer provides basic information about COVID-19 for patients and can be hung in primary care practices to inform patients.

Other Frequently Asked Questions from Providers COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for Primary Care Providers (updated 11/10/20)

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MDPCP COVID-19 Webinars

Between March 2020 and June 2021, the MDPCP PMO hosted regular webinars for all Primary Care Providers to review current guidance, provide additional information on important activities primary care offices should be taking for the health and safety of Marylanders and answer additional questions. The June 23 COVID-19 webinar was the final regular COVID-19 webinar for now, but these webinars will return ad hoc as needed. For webinar recordings and slides, please visit our Archive page. 

General Guidance & Resources

Latest Policies and guidance on social distancing protocols

• Latest WHO updates on COVID-19

• Latest CDC research on COVID-19
  

• CDC guidance on social distancing
  

• The Maryland governor’s office has the latest information on COVID-19 reopening updates

• Further information can be found at the Maryland Coronavirus Page

• The Maryland government has created a website to address common misperception about COVID-19 and current policies governing it

• MDPCP provides guidance in Five Things to Do Now to Prevent a Surge

Testing

• CDC guidance on testing 

• Maryland guidance on testing:

  • General guidance on testing (updated 10/1)

  • Guidance on point of care tests

  • Guidance on laboratory testing for healthcare providers

  • Maryland Department of Health’s frequently asked questions about testing

• MDPCP’s Roadmap to Recovery Part II – COVID Testing

Treatment

• WHO guidance on clinical management of COVID-19 

• NIH guidance on treatments

• The University of Maryland Medical System provides responses to common misperceptions about COVID-19 treatments 

Immunizations

• The FDA posts updates on the progress of COVID-19 vaccines here

• More information about enrolling in Immunet can be found here, and more information about setting up reporting can be found here

• 2/11/2021 Maryland Department of Health letter to the Maryland Board of Physicians with updates regarding COVID-19 vaccines and ImmuNet 

• Quick Reference Guide - COVID-19 Vaccine Registration & Ordering

Equipment

• CDC guidance on proper equipment for healthcare providers

• Maryland requirements for mask use

• PPE equipment procurement links:

• PPE is available from sources in the Maryland Manufacturing Network Supplier Portal and from other PPE Vendors.
  

• Telephonic and telemedicine – restrictions removed 

  • Medicare 

    • ​Medicare Telemedicine Fact Sheet​

    • ​​Medicare Telehealth FAQs - As of 3/17/20

    • ​Medicare Coverage & Payment of Virtual Services Video​

    • ​List of Acceptable Medicare Telehealth Codes

    • ​​CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19

  • Medicaid - Now paying for traditional video/audio + audio only​

  • CareFirst Medical Policy 02.01.072A

  • ​Cigna Interim Billing Guidance

• ​ HHS Coronavirus Waivers - Payment and HIPAA Exemptions​​
  

• Telemedicine Spotlight​

• MedChi Telehealth Bi​lling & Coding Under COVID-19​

• MHCC Telehealth Guide

• MDPCP Billing Guide 

• MDPCP Billing Webinar 4/9/20 - Webinar Recording and Slides

• AAFP Telehealth Coding Algorithm

• BMJ Telemedicine Workflow Graphic​​
  

• Guide for Telemedicine​

• Telehealth Vendor Portfolio from MHCC's Telehealth Virtual Resource Center​

• Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

  • RPM Workbook​
    

  • RPM Medicare Billing Guide

• MHCC Telehealth Readiness Assessment (TRA) Tool
  

  • The interactive online TRA Tool offers a self-assessment questionnaire, supporting guidance, and informational resources to help ambulatory practices determine their readiness for implementing or expanding telehealth services.  The TRA Tool takes about 20 minutes to complete and offers guidance in five key areas: 1) Core Readiness; 2) Financial Considerations; 3) Operations; 4) Staff Engagement; and 5) Patient Readiness.  For more information about the TRA Tool, contact Alana Sutherland at alana.sutherland@maryland.gov.​​

• Memo on Additional Telehealth Grant Opportunities - April 22, 2020

  • CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) and the Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi) launched a grant program to provide independent physician practices with five or fewer members, a year of complimentary access to DrFirst’s Backline Telehealth platform for physicians who enroll between March 1st and December 31st of 2020.  DrFirst is a Maryland-based company that offers secure telehealth services. This collaboration will equip additional Maryland physicians with the technology they need to provide needed virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.​ Fill out the application and return it to MedChi via email to Andrea Mullin​ or mail to 1211 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 attn. Andrea Mullin.

Grants and Assistance for Providers

• US government’s declaration of the Public Health Emergency: https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/covid19-23June2020.aspx

• IRS Tax Credits for Paid Sick and Paid Family Leave: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/covid-19-related-tax-credits-for-paid-sick-and-paid-family-leave-overview

Resources for Providers to Share with Patients

• Maryland Health Connection has a Coronavirus Emergency Special Enrollment Period until December 15 for uninsured Marylanders.

• Several resources are available specifically for seniors:

  • Please contact your Local Health Department or Area Agency on Aging. 

  • Many grocery stores also now offer special shopping hours for seniors.  Here is a list by county of special grocery services being offered. 

  • ​The Maryland Department of Aging also offers a free, telephonic check-in for seniors age 65 and over. 

 

 

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Immunization

MDPCP providers can prepare to administer vaccines by: referring eligible patients to schedule vaccination appointments, onboarding with ImmuNet to prepare for vaccine administration, and keeping up to date on vaccine information to communicate to patients.

Refer your Patients to Get Vaccinated

If your patients are currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, refer them to covidvax.maryland.gov to sign up for a vaccination appointment.

ImmuNet Enrollment, Reporting​, and Registration

There are three steps to setting up ImmuNet to be able to be a COVID-19 vaccine administrator:

1. Enrolling in ImmuNet

2. Setting up EHR Reporting to ImmuNet

3. Registering in ImmuNet to be a COVID-19 vaccine administrator
   

Providers should onboard to ImmuNet now as a necessary prerequisite for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The first two links will lead you to the site. After onboarding with ImmuNet, providers should consult the ​Quick Reference Guide ​to establish a Vaccines for Children or Non-Vaccines for Children profile

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Archived Resources:

• Checklist for Practices (updated 4/15/20)

• Care Management Workflows (updated 3/27/20)

• Front Desk Triage Workflows (updated 3/26/20)

• Primary Care Practice Process Map​ (updated 4/1/20)

• Provider Script - Stay-at-Home Order Communication (updated 3/30/20)​
  

• Contact Tracing Information for Providers​ (updated 06/26/20)

For more information, please visit MDH’s Coronavirus page​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​

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