COVID-19 Executive Orders
The following provides a summary of the full list of healthcare and healthcare insurance related Executive Orders issued by Governor Lamont in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Authorizes the Office of Health Strategy to waive provisions of CT General Statutes Chapter 368z related to the Health Systems Planning Unit, including certificates of need, to ensure availability of adequate healthcare resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Suspends requirements for in-person attendance at Dept. of Social Services fair hearings.
- Authorizes Dept. of Social Services to waive requirements necessary to expand Medicaid coverage of telehealth services to include audio-only services
Executive Order 7G (modified by Executive Order DD)
- Expands the definition of “telehealth” to permit Medicaid providers and in-network providers under fully-insured health plans to use audio-only telephone services for established patients.
- Suspends licensing, certification and registration requirements for Medicaid and in-network providers under fully-insured health plans who want to offer telehealth services to patients.
- Permits Medicaid providers and in-network providers under fully-insured health plans to use non-HIPAA compliant technologies, as approved by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
- Caps uninsured/non-covered telehealth services at Medicare rates.
- Eliminates the $17/month copayment obligation for dual-eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
- Eliminates copayments (but not premiums or coinsurance) for HUSKY B (CHIP) beneficiaries.
- Provides for HUSKY reimbursement of up to a 90-day supply of maintenance and non-maintenance medications (excluding controlled substances).
- Authorizes pharmacists to exercise discretion to refill non-controlled substances for up to a 30-day supply.
- Authorizes methadone maintenance clinics to deliver take-home doses to homebound patients
- Extends 60-day time periods for up to one year for applicants to transfer nursing homes.
- Authorizes Dept. of Public Health to suspend certain health care license renewal and inspection requirements.
- Establishes a 60-day grace period from April 1, 2020, through June 1, 2020, during which termination of insurance due to nonpayment of premiums is prohibited, subject to individual/group policyholder attestation that the nonpayment was due to a COVID-19 related loss of business, employment, revenue or income. The 60-day grace period only applies if the initial policy premium has been paid and all required subsequent premium payments are current through March 12, 2020. Premiums deferred under this provision are not waived or forgiven.
- Establishes civil liability protections for health care professionals and health care facilities that cause injury due to acts or omissions taken in good faith (i.e., excluding crime, fraud, etc.) while providing services in support of COVID-19 response (superseded by Executive Order 7V).
- Requires health insurance carriers to pay, and out-of-network providers to accept, in-network rates for emergency services (repealed by Executive Order 7CC).
- Limits hospital charges, including facility fees, for treatment of COVID-19 to Medicare rates for uninsured patients, and suspends collection of payment from uninsured patients until after distribution of available federal funding.
- Suspends licensing requirements for certain professions in order to expand the healthcare workforce.
- Modifies and supersedes the civil liabilities protections established under Executive Order 7U.
- Modifies nursing home bed reservation requirements.
- Designates certain facilities as COVID Recovery Facilities.
- Defines COVID-19 Transfers as emergency transfers under CT General Statutes 19a-535, and modifies other rules related to transfers of nursing home patients in connection with COVID-19 related illnesses.
- Excludes individual stimulus payments under the CARES Act from household income for purposes of making eligibility determinations for public assistance programs.
- Repeals retroactively the provisions of Executive Order 7U regarding payment of in-network rates to out-of-network providers of emergency services.
Executive Order DD (Modifying Executive Order 7G) (Modified by Executive Order 7HHH)
- Expands the list of providers who are eligible to provide telehealth services to include dentists, behavior analysts, genetic counselors, music therapists, art therapists and veterinarians.
- Expands the definition of “telehealth” to permit Medicaid providers and in-network providers under fully-insured health plans to use audio-only telephone services for established patients.
- Suspends licensing, certification and registration requirements for Medicaid and in-network providers under fully-insured health plans who want to offer telehealth services to patients.
- Permits Medicaid providers and in-network providers under fully-insured health plans to use non-HIPAA compliant technologies, as approved by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
- Caps charges for uninsured/non-covered telehealth services at Medicare rates.
- Authorizes the Dept. of Social Services to waive, suspend or modify prior authorization or utilization review requirements.
- Authorizes the Dept. of Social Services to waive, suspend or modify requirements for durable medical equipment suppliers to obtain signed delivery receipts from Medicaid members.
- Further expands the definition of telehealth to permit Medicaid providers to use audio-only telephone services with new patients.
- Authorizes the Dept. of Social Services to waive, modify or suspend regulations as deemed necessary to increase access to home health services by Medicaid members.
- Permits licensed pharmacists to order and administer FDA-approved COVID-19 diagnostic tests.
- Authorizes the Dept. of Social Services to distribute CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to nursing home facilities and COVID Recovery Facilities for necessary expenses and hardship relief.
- Provides that Dept. of Social Services CRF distributions are not subject to hearing or appeal.
- Requires fully insured healthcare policies to continue to provide coverage for medically necessary remote early intervention ("birth to three") services by qualified personnel after a covered child’s third birthday, when such child continues to receive such services in accordance with Executive Order No. 7DD.
- Provides for registration of temporary nurse aides in order to expand the healthcare workforce.
Executive Order 7UU (Modified by Executive Order 7AAA)
- Requires weekly testing of staff members of nursing home facilities, private managed residential communities and assisted living services agencies.
- Suspends involuntary discharges of nursing home residents and residential care home residents to homeless shelters.
Executive Order 7AAA (Modifying Executive Order 7UU)
- Modifies the weekly testing requirements for staff members of nursing home facilities, private managed residential communities and assisted living services agencies.
- Authorizes state agency heads, department heads and commissioners to extend statutory and regulatory time requirements, limitations and deadlines for up to 90 days.
- Expands Executive Order 7NN by authorizing the Dept. of Social Services to distribute CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to other healthcare providers and institutions for necessary expenses and hardship relief.
Executive Order 7HHH (Modifying Executive Order No. 7DD)
- Authorizes the Department of Public Health to temporarily suspend licensing, certification and registration requirements for out-of-state health care providers who want to offer services in Connecticut.
- Authorizes licensed pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccines.
- Requires out-of-network providers to accept Medicare rates as payment for administration of COVID-19 vaccines
Executive Order 9S (Modifying Executive Order 7HHH)
- Authorizes the Department of Public Health to temporarily suspend licensing, certification and registration requirements for out-of-state health care providers who want to offer services in Connecticut.
- Extends the sunset date from March 15, 2021 to April 20, 2021 for provisions of Public Act 20-2.
- Extends various Executive Orders through May 20, 2021.
- Extends through May 20, 2021 the authority of the Dept. of Social Services to waive, suspend or modify prior authorization or utilization review requirements.
- Amends the sunset dates for various Executive Orders.