Coronavirus Research Billing Notices and FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Questions & Answers (Updated 5/15/2020, check back frequently for updates)

Q. If we decide to put our study on hold for now, do we need to make any changes to the status in CRMS?

No. If the IRB makes any changes, they will interface with CRMS. There is no need to make changes to the study status in CRMS.

Q. Should I let CRBC know if we change the location or method of services in my study? (For example, moving to the CRU, Green Spring Station or Telehealth)

Yes. CRBC staff will make a note of the changes to the conduct of the study and whether or not we expect to see charges for the services. Please remember to follow IRB guidance before any changes (see links below).

Q. What should I do if my research participants need to get blood drawn or labs in an outside lab?

It depends. If the order is placed in Epic, the research billing workflow should still work. However, if the participant goes to an outside lab, you need to arrange with that lab to receive a bill if the services rendered are billable to research per PRA.

Q. Do I need to do anything “special” for telehealth visits?

Telehealth visits should follow the research billing workflows in Epic. However, please document a) the reason for the visit, b) what was done,  c) the visit point on the study timeline and d) total time of the visit.

Here are additional Johns Hopkins Research Telemedicine resources:

Epic Training Portal COVID-19 Page – for all Epic related COVID-19 tip sheets, daily updates regarding system changes to Epic, and additional resources for telemedicine assistance. This page is not research specific and includes content for all Epic applications. The most current content is available here, making it a great resource to bookmark in these rapidly changing times. Starting tomorrow, a link to this site will be available directly from the Research Home Dashboard.

Each of the following tip sheets regarding video visits begin with resources to contact for difficulties with video equipment-

Tip Sheets for Research Coordinators:

• On the Fly Research Video Visits for Research Coordinators – how RCs can create a non-scheduled video visits with study participants & document on the encounter correctly.

• Scheduled Research Video Visits for Research Coordinators  - how RCs can start the visit for scheduled video visits with study participants & document on the encounter correctly.

Tip sheet for Research Providers:

• Research Video Visit Dummy Codes – instructions for Research Providers who are compensated for their time by their study. The dummy codes created for research video visits keeps track of the length of the video visit time and instructs providers not to use LOS codes that may incur Pro Fee charges that could bill to a study.

Q. Who can I talk to if I have questions regarding the billing of my research participants during this time?

You can contact Liza Rodriguez, Associate Director, Clinical Research Billing Compliance by email at erodri13@jhmi.edu.

Useful Links

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine IRB guidance: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/institutional_review_board/news/covid19_information.html/

Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) Information: https://ictr.johnshopkins.edu/coronavirus

ICTR Telehealth Guidance: https://ictr.johnshopkins.edu/coronavirus/telemedicine

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA )Guidance: https://ictr.johnshopkins.edu/coronavirus/fda-guidance-on-conduct-of-clinical-trials-of-medical-products-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Newsroom https://www.cms.gov/newsroom

*NEW* CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19 (3/31/2020)

CMS Billing & Coding Guidance:

• Frequently Asked Questions to Assist Medicare Providers (PDF) UPDATED (5/15/20)
• Fact sheet:  Expansion of the Accelerated and Advance Payments Program for Providers and Suppliers During COVID-19 Emergency (PDF) UPDATED (4/26/20)
• CMS Dear Clinician Letter (PDF) (4/6/20)
• Fact sheet:  Medicare Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19 (PDF) UPDATED (3/23/20)
• Fact sheet:  Medicare Telemedicine Healthcare Provider Fact Sheet (3/17/20)
• Medicare Telehealth Frequently Asked Questions (3/17/20)
• MLN Matters article:  Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Response to the Public Health Emergency on the Coronavirus (PDF) (3/17/20)
• Frequently Asked Questions about Medicare Fee-for-Service Emergency-Related Policies and Procedures With an 1135 Waiver (PDF) (3/16/20)
• Fact sheet:  Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) COVID-19 Test Pricing (PDF) (3/13/20) 
• Fact sheet:  Medicaid and CHIP Coverage and Payment Related to COVID-19 (PDF) (3/5/20)
• COVID-19: New ICD-10-CM Code and Interim Coding Guidance (2/20/20)

Office of the Inspector General of Health and Human Services (OIG)

https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/docs/alertsandbulletins/2020/policy-telehealth-2020.pdf

Last Updated May 15, 2020 7:13 p.m.