Coronavirus Update
America’s Physician Groups (APG) is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the immediate risk of being exposed to this virus is still low for most Americans, but as the outbreak expands, that risk will increase. Cases of COVID-19 and instances of community spread are being reported in a growing number of states.
Below, please find additional information and resources regarding COVID-19 and its impact on the APG community. Please visit the CDC’s COVID-19 website and/or your state’s department of health website for more information.
APG COVID-19 Resources
We are providing our members and others with the latest information on legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that may impact their organizations and the communities they serve.
Advocacy Resources
Below please find the latest APG COVID-19 advocacy activities and information. You can click on the buttons for additional resources and to learn about the unique ways APG members are fighting COVID-19.
- November 19: Coalition Letter on QP Thresholds
- September 16: Coalition Letter to CMMI on Next Generation ACO Model
- September 2: Coalition Letter on Counting Telehealth Encounters in Risk Adjustment Programs
- August 13: Letter of Support Provider Coalition
- August 11: COVID-19 Comprehensive Coverage Letter
- August 10: APG-Premier Letter on Direct Contracting and BPCI-A
- August 10: URGENT ALERT: HHS Provider Relief Fund Now Accepting Additional General Distribution Applicants
- July 23: APG COVID-19 Member Alert: Trump Administration Officially Extends the Public Health Emergency
- July 21: APG Signs onto Coalition Letter Urging Congress to Prioritize Federal Funding for the Critical Testing
- July 2: APG Comments on second Interim Final Rule During COVID-19 PHE
- June 16: APG Letter to Senate Finance on Making Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent
- June 16: APG Letter to Senate HELP Committee Highlighting the Success and Importance of Telehealth Services During COVID-19
- June 3: APG COVID-19 Member Update
- May 28: APG COVID-19 Member Update
- May 8: APG COVID-19 Member Update
- May 8: Coalition Letter to CMS on Risk Adjustment for Audio-Only Telehealth Services
- April 30: APG COVID-19 Member Update (Urgent Alert)
- April 27: APG COVID-19 Member Update
- April 25: APG COVID-19 Member Update (Urgent Alert)
Please click here to view all APG COVID-19-related advocacy correspondence.
Contact Valinda Rutledge, Senior Vice President of Federal Affairs, APG, for more information at vrutledge@apg.org.
Educational Resources
- TPG International Health Academy Virtual Educational Summit: COVID-19 Response: What is the new normal? on December 2, 2020. Click here to preregister.
- APG April 17 webinar: COVID-19 Case Studies in Excellence slides and recording
- NEJM Catalyst article: Responding to COVID-19: Lessons from Management Research (credit: NEJM Catalyst)
- U.S. Government Response to COVID-19
- APG Telehealth Fact Sheet
- Telehealth Billing Grid
- Italy versus USA COVID-19 Cases
- Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center
- COVID-19 Adult Clinical Evaluation Guide (PDF)
- Algorithm for On-site Respiratory Evaluations in Respiratory Screening Clinics (RSCs) and Accelerated Care Units (ACUs) (PDF)
- A Seattle Intensivist’s One-Pager on COVID-19
- Ambulatory On-site Workflow for Non-Respiratory Screening Clinics
- AAP Clinical Guidance for Pediatric Practices
- COVID-19 in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Interim Guidance on Discontinuation of Home Isolation
- Medicaid Telehealth Guidance Homepage
- CMS Medicaid Telehealth Guidance for states
- Medicare Telemedicine Guidance Fact Sheet
- Telemedicine Guide for Physicians
- CMS’s Virtual Toolkit to help you stay up-to-date on CMS materials available on COVID-19
- Massachusetts Hospital Guidelines
Handwashing Map:
Additional Resources:
- Our friends at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) have opened up their educational webinars and resources to our members. Register for telehealth webinars surrounding COVID-19 and find other educational and policy resources here.
Contact Dr. Amy Nguyen Howell, MD, MBA, FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer, APG, for more information at anguyen@apg.org.
Follow Dr. Nguyen on Twitter at @dramynguyen and LinkedIn.
Other Resources
APG has compiled other commonly referenced resources related to COVID-19. Please click here to view those resources.
