State and local government responses to COVID-19 are rapidly evolving and our state government relations and policy team is working diligently to update your practice as new information becomes available. The resources provided below include state-specific legislation, Executive Orders, and quick links to state regulatory entities (State Health Department, Medical Board, Medical Society, Board of Pharmacy, Labor and Workforce, and Insurance Department) providing COVID-19 related updates as well as state assistance for small businesses. For questions and support that may not be found on this page, please contact our state team directly:
Arizona Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery – Beginning April 22, all non-essential or elective surgeries, including elective dental surgeries, that use PPE or ventilators can be performed as of May 1 if they can prove implemented measures of PPE, adequate staffing and bed capacity & testing of staff and patients
Arizona Department of Health Services
Arizona Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
Arizona Department of Insurance
Arizona COVID-19 Telemedicine Information- Arizona Medical Association
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Services (AHCCCS)
Colorado Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery– On April 26, 2020, Governor Polis issued an EO stating that “voluntary or elective medical, dental, and veterinary surgeries and procedures may resume if facilities are following required safety protocols” on the 27th.
Colorado Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
Colorado Department of Health and Environment
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF)
Colorado Medical Society Resources for Physicians
Colorado Medical Society COVID-19 Telehealth Information
Colorado Office of the Governor, Executive Orders
Florida Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery
Florida Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE– Update 5/1: On April 29, Governor DeSantis announced Executive Order 20-112 which allows “Medical services, including elective procedures, surgical centers, office surgery centers, dental offices, orthodontic offices, endodontic office and other health care practitioners’ offices may fully re-open” under the condition of assisting nursing homes and long-term care facilities (FAQ)
Florida Health COVID19 Resources and Toolkit
Florida Medical Association COVID-19 Resources
Florida COVID-19 Payment Resources
Illinois Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery – Update 5/1: On May 1, the Chicago Tribune reported that “The governor’s new order allows certain state parks to reopen and some elective medical procedures to resume, particularly in areas with fewer cases of the new coronavirus,” however, as of this writing, the Illinois Department of Public Health has not updated its previous guidance
Illinois Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
Illinois Department of Public Health
State of Illinois COVID-19 Response
Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services COVID-19 Updates
Maryland Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery– Governor Hogan released the Maryland Strong Road map to Recovery on April 24, which indicates that elective procedures will resume in “Low Risk” and “Medium Risk” stages.
Maryland Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
Maryland Department of Health COVID-19 Updates
Maryland Health Connection One-month special enrollment period
Maryland Office of the Governor Response to COVID-19
Update 5/1: On April 30, the Minnesota Department of Health released draft guidance on the resumption of elective medical procedures for comment, indicating that Governor Walz may lift the postponement (Media Source)
Minnesota Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
Minnesota Department of Public Health COVID-19 Guidance for Minnesotans
State of Minnesota Letter to Health Insurance Carriers related to COVID-19
Minnesota Medical Association COVID-19 Resources for Physicians
New York Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery -Hospitals will be able to resume performing elective outpatient treatments on April 28, 2020 if the hospital capacity is over 25 percent for the county and if there have been fewer than 10 new hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in the county over the past 10 days
New York Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
New York Department of Health Information on COVID-19
New York Department of Health Information for Healthcare Providers
New York COVID-19 Guidance for Medicaid Providers
New York Requiring Insurance Companies to Waive Cost-Sharing for In-Network Telehealth Visits
Medical Society of New York COVID-19 Resources for Physicians
Ohio Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery– Update 5/1: On April 30, OhioHealth announced that in accordance with Governor Mike DeWine’s guidance, it will begin a gradual return to elective surgeries which do not require an overnight stay at all hospital and outpatient surgery centers starting Friday, May 1
Ohio Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Information
Texas Guidance on Re-Opening Elective Surgery– Beginning at 11:59 pm on April 21 and continuing until 11:59 pm on May 8, the order requires that all licensed health care professionals and facilities continue postponing all surgeries and procedures that are not medically necessary. However, the order provides an exemption from the prohibition for: any procedure that would not deplete the hospital capacity or the PPE needed to cope with the COVID-19 disaster; or any surgery or procedure performed in a licensed facility that has certified in writing to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission both, “…(1) that it will reserve at least 25% of its hospital capacity for treatment of COVID-19 patients, accounting for the range of clinical severity of COVID-l9 patients; and (2) that it will not request any personal protective equipment from any public source, whether federal, state, or local, for the duration of the COVID 19 disaster.”
Texas Delaying Elective Surgeries to Conserve PPE
Texas Department of State Health Services COVID-19 Information
Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) COVID-19 Updates and Preparations
Texas Office of the Governor, Executive Actions
Texas HHS COVID-19 Provider Information
Texas Medical Association Telemedicine in Texas COVID-19
Texas Medical Association COVID-19 Resources
Texas Workforce Commission COVID-19 Resources
Texas Temporary Emergency Rule Changes for Health Plans Regulated by TDI