Physicians who provide telehealth services to Medicare patients should be aware that if Congress is not able to pass legislation before Oct. 1, 2025, that extends government funding, then the current Medicare telehealth flexibilities will lapse. This means that telehealth services would be limited to rural areas as they were before the COVID public health emergency and that patients would not be able to receive telehealth services in their homes. In addition, the ability to provide audio-only services to Medicare patients would lapse, as would the Acute Hospital Care at Home program.

In past government shutdowns, whenever Congress passed legislation to reopen the government, it made the funding and policies retroactive to the effective date of the shutdown. Physician practices may want to consider adjusting their patient schedules for telehealth services, however, as neither the likelihood nor the duration of a shutdown are known.

Phishing is an example of social engineering that attempts to trick you or someone else in your workplace into giving out sensitive information. Email phishing attacks are still a common occurrence, but we are hearing about more fraudulent fax requests being sent out to medical practices by bad actors.

CMS emphasized that it does not initiate audits by requesting medical records via fax. We urge physicians and practices to take steps to protect their data. If physicians receive a suspicious request, do not respond. CMS encourages you to work with your Medical Review Contractor if you receive a questionable or suspected fraudulent request to confirm if it is real.

Physicians can now preview their 2023 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance information as it will appear later this year on the compare tool on Medicare.gov and in the Provider Data Catalog (PDC). Upon reviewing MIPS performance information and finding any errors, physicians may file a targeted review but must do so by June 25. Eligible physicians also now have the option to opt-out of having MIPS data publicly posted but only have until June 25 to inform the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Publicly reported information includes MIPS and Qualified Clinical Data Registry quality measures, MIPS Promoting Interoperability measures and attestations, and MIPS improvement activities attestations. More information is available in this overview. Access to the secure preview is available on the QPP website through Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 8 pm ET. For questions about how to access the preview or public reporting on the compare tool on Medicare.gov, contact the QPP Service Center by emailing QPP@cms.hhs.gov, submitting a QPP Service Center ticket, or calling 1-866-288-8292 (Monday–Friday, 8 am–8 pm ET).

Starting July 1, 2025, Florida law will require all licensed health care practitioners to complete a background screening when applying for a new license or renewing an existing one.

This includes physicians and advanced practice providers.
Exceptions: EMTs, paramedics, pharmacy interns, techs, and radiologic technologists—unless applying through the military spouse licensure pathway.

Here’s what you need to know:

Renewing your license?
Complete your background screening before your renewal window opens (90–120 days prior to your license expiration date).

Been screened before?
You can retain your fingerprints for $43.25 every five years. The retention window opens 75 days before your license expires and closes 15 days before.
Miss it, and you’ll need a new screening—at nearly twice the cost

Applying for a new license?
The background screening is required as part of the application process.

Learn more at www.FLHealthSource.gov. Click “Florida Boards” and select your licensing board for profession-specific guidance.

We’re sharing this now so you can plan ahead and avoid delays or added costs.

Thank you for your continued excellence and dedication to care.

In an emergency, such as an evacuation for a hurricane, you may need to go to a special needs shelter. If you know or care for an individual with a disability or a special need, such as a medical condition that requires assistance but not hospitalization, it is important that you pre-register with the Florida Special Needs Shelter Registry. You will need to log in with an existing account or create a new account.

Registering through the Florida Special Needs Registry allows local emergency management officials to provide important information and quickly assist you during an emergency. For more information, contact your county’s emergency management office or visit the Florida Special Needs Registry. 

If you are eligible for a special needs shelter, your kit should include:

• List of medications and dosage
• A 30-day supply of medications
• Vital medical equipment for those who may be electrically or oxygen dependent,
• Backup energy sources for essential medical equipment
• Any special dietary needs or food
• Personal information including:
• Photo ID
• Insurance card
• List of emergency contacts
• Your primary care provider’s contact information

After completing the Florida Special Needs Registry, additional information will be provided to you by your local emergency management agency regarding evacuation and sheltering options available.

For more information on your local shelter status, please visit FloridaDisaster.org.

Health Care Providers

If you are a health care provider, please contact SNR@flhealth.gov to obtain a login for the special needs registry to ensure you are able to use all health care provider functions.

Source: FDOH

Florida Medicaid recipients maintaining access to critical Medicaid services (e.g., durable medical equipment and supplies, home health services, hospital services, nursing facility services, chemotherapy, dialysis services, etc.) is imperative during the State of Emergency related to Hurricane Storm Milton. To this end, the Agency will ensure reimbursement for critical Medicaid services provided in good faith to eligible recipients who reside in the counties impacted by the storm.

Please continue providing services:

• The Agency will waive all prior authorization requirements for critical Medicaid services beginning October 7, 2024, until further notice.
• Early prescription refill edits have been lifted for all maintenance medications (Note: This does not apply to controlled substances).
• If a recipient requires critical Medicaid services beyond the limits stated in policy to maintain safety and health, providers can furnish the service.
• Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) processes are postponed until further notice by the Agency.
• Retroactively performed screenings or resident reviews must document the reason for delay in the completion of PASRR requirements.
• The Agency is waiving the PASRR process for recipients who evacuated due to an evacuation order or power outage and are admitted and discharged during the storm.
• Transportation vendors should continue providing services to all Medicaid enrollees as long as they are able.

To read Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive orders related to Hurricane Milton, please visit here. 

Please take note of the following resources provide to FSN from the FMA to help you mitigate the storm’s potential effects.

• Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM)
  
• Florida Department of Health emergency information
• Emergency preparedness resources  from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
• FloridaDisaster.biz  , a partnership between DEM and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
• Disaster preparedness and relief guidance  from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
• Disaster preparedness for medical practices  (The Doctors Company)
• Post-disaster checklist  (AAFP)