Happy Thursday! Enjoy your

NCMS Morning Rounds.

  May 28, 2020

The NC General Assembly is back in session and the NCMS advocacy staff is busy tracking its work. Keep up-to-date on all the proposals most likely to impact your practice and your patients at our Legislative blog. The blog is continually updated with behind-the-scenes, quick summaries as the proposed legislation makes its way through the various committees and floor votes. Go to the NCMS Legislative Blog.

SBA Releases Loan Forgiveness Application

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has released its 11-page Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application, which, among other information, provides borrowers with instructions on how to calculate eligibility for forgiveness of their PPP loans and the necessary documentation under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The PPP was created by the CARES Act to provide forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to keep workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The loan forgiveness documents are designed to help small businesses seek forgiveness at the conclusion of the eight week covered period, which begins with the disbursement of their loans.

The SBA also will soon issue regulations to further assist borrowers as they complete their application and provide guidance to lenders on their responsibilities. Lenders will likely have their own procedures for borrowers to request forgiveness as well.

Download the PPP Loan Forgiveness Application.

Also, keep in mind, Congress is considering a proposal that would extend the current 8-week covered period for the PPP; allow for loan terms of more than 2 years; extend the rehiring date past June 30 to offset the effect of enhanced unemployment benefits and allow more employers with PPP loans to defer payroll taxes, among other provisions.

Learn more about the PPP and loan forgiveness here.

Practices Hope Increased Telehealth Visits Are Here to Stay

The results of the May 11 NCMS, NC Medical Group Management Association (NCMGMA) and Curi survey, which looked more closely at medical practices’ use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed that a majority of those practices (68 percent), which have increased their use of telehealth, hope to continue the increased use of telehealth after the pandemic subsides.

More than 60 percent of participating practices said that patients have indicated a preference for telehealth visits over in-person visits recently. Respondents decisively said (70 percent) that if all payers were to offer telehealth parity, they would be more likely to pursue telehealth visits as part of their regular practice. Cybersecurity did not appear to be a concern for telehealth visits, according to survey results.

Review a summary of the telehealth survey results.

Don’t forget to take this week’s survey, which focuses on practices considerations around reopening and reassuring patients to come in for routine care. Take this week’s survey now. Results will be reported in an upcoming NCMS Morning Rounds.

Message to Parents: Keep Up with Regular Vaccinations

With routine vaccinations down an estimated 90 percent in places due to possible reluctance of parents to take their children to regular well-visits for fear of exposure to COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now warning of a possible measles outbreak. To reassure parents – and patients of all ages – that it is safe to continue to seek routine care, longtime NCMS member David Tayloe, Jr., MD, FAAP, a Goldsboro pediatrician and strong advocate for vaccination, spoke with WRAL News to encourage parents to make sure their children are being immunized.

Watch the interview with newscaster David Crabtree.

In the News

Nearly Half of Americans Delayed Medical Care Due to the Pandemic, Kaiser Health News, 5-27-20

Also in the news: NCMS’ partner in Carolina Complete Health, Centene, made number 14 in the new Forbes Corporate Responders ranking, which assesses how well the 100 largest employers among U.S. public companies responded to the public health crisis from mid-March through May 7 across 22 categories. Read more here.

Learning Opportunity

The NCMS Foundation and its Kanof Institute for Physician Leadership (KIPL) is providing a lively and informative weekly virtual forum for ongoing conversation, collaboration and community. Power Hour is held each Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. This week’s discussion will include focus on diabetes prevention. Learn more and register.

The Power Hour archive is always available for browsing here. Previous conversations have included the NC Medical Board’s response to COVID-19; self-care and wellness during this pandemic and telehealth.

 

If you have policies you’d like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!