TO: Ohio medical transportation providers
FROM: James Hodge, Chief, Bureau of Regulatory Operations, Ohio Department of Health
DATE: Oct. 13, 2020
RE: COVID-19 testing of personnel providing non-urgent medical transportation for nursing home residents
As part of ongoing efforts to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 among Ohio’s vulnerable nursing home residents, personnel providing non-urgent medical transportation to this population should be tested for the virus. Examples of non-urgent medical transportation are ambulettes and non-emergent emergency medical services (EMS) transports.
Personnel providing such services should be tested by the nursing facility or provide documentation that required testing was completed during the timeframe that corresponds to the facility’s testing frequency.
This is in accordance with a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule (CMS-3401-IFC), included in QSO-20-38-NH, dated Aug. 26, 2020, which provides that personnel providing services under arrangement to nursing home residents are to be tested.
Affected personnel should work with appropriate facilities and local health departments to determine specific testing requirements to comply with this CMS directive.
Individuals providing emergency services, such as EMS workers or law enforcement officers, are not required to undergo testing or show proof of testing, and they should not be delayed in responding to emergency situations.
Additional questions concerning COVID-19 testing requirements should be referred to the Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Regulatory Operations at (614) 644-6220.