In response to COVID-19, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has temporarily suspended, modified and given flexibilities for certain federal requirements related to the Medicare conditions of participation, state Medicaid plans. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) has indicated that providers should not abandon documentation altogether and must maintain sufficient supporting documentation to justify the reliance on or use of Section 1135 Waivers.

This article summarizes the "Patients Over Paperwork" initiative and identifies six key actions that can be taken to help maintain proper documentation and tell a meaningful COVID-19 story.