3/27/2020 Press Conference on COVID-19 Updates

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On March 27th, the Governor gave a press conference to provide a COVID-19 update on new travel recommendations, online advancements on telehealth, boosted support for our healthcare workers, new tax deadline, updates on public health orders, and volunteer opportunities for healthcare workers.

Here is the summary.

New Travel Recommendations

  • Starting today, all travelers arriving to the Commonwealth will need to self-quarantine for 14 days. To spread awareness about this, there will be information flyers given out as well as displaying this on road-side messaging boards.

  • Please reconsider traveling to MA, especially if you have symptoms. 

    • Healthcare workers, public health workers, public safety workers, and transportation workers are exempt from this requirement.

Telemedicine

  • Telehealth is available to everyone and enables people to talk to doctors and other clinicians, through phone calls and video chats, to receive medical attention without leaving their homes in order to keep everyone safe.

  • MA is launching Buoy, a free online resource for MA residents to receive medical guidance in the safety of their homes.

    • Please visit bouy.com/mass to find medical advice remotely.

Information about Buoy

  • Buoy is a self-diagnostic tool that uses the latest Department of Public Health and CDC guidelines to help let residents understand the risk related to the disease and what to do next. Buoy released their Coronavirus protocols in early February.

  • When you first sign up, you will be asked a series of questions to complete a risk assessment interview.

    • If you screen positive for COVID-19 symptoms or risk factors, you will be directed to the most appropriate resources based on their answers. Resources include a portal, linked up with your health insurance provider, to talk over the phone or through video chat right away.

  • Please do not substitute Buoy with emergency medical care. 

Board of Registration of Medicine

  • An emergency 90-day limited license to practice medicine will be given to medical school graduates who meet a specific criteria.

  • Medical school graduates who are interested can fill out an application which will be submitted by the program or facility.

Taxes

  • Last week, the Federal government extended the tax filing and payment deadline to July 15th. Governor is filing legislation today to extend the state’s tax filing and payment deadline to July 15th. The House of Representatives engrossed the legislation today and it is now before the Senate.

Updates on Public Health Orders

  • Yesterday, there were 10 deaths reported. This brings the total number of deaths to 25. 

  • A public health order was issued to respond to the great demand that COVID-19 has put on our healthcare system and access to healthcare workers. This order will provide advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), who are in good standing, to expand their scope of prescribing medication.

    • This order will authorize APRNs with at least two years of supervised practice experience to prescribe without physician oversight.

    • This order will also authorize APRNs with fewer than two hours of supervised practice experience to prescribe with physician oversight, but without the required written guidelines.

  • Last Friday, a waiver was filed with the Federal government to speed up Masshealth enrollment, streamline administrative requirements for providers, and deliver critically needed healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is what has been approved so far:

    • Enrolling out-of-state providers and easing other provider requirements when they enroll in Masshealth. 

    • Allowing providers to be reimbursed for care in alternative unlicensed settings like congregate care settings or if we set up tents in other large programs. 

    • Suspending preauthorization requirements and extending preauthorizations throughout the emergency.