COVID-19 UPDATE
C-NET TESTING PROCEDURES DURING THE CURRENT COVID-19 OUTBREAK
As new information becomes available, it will be posted here. Last Updated: 10/22/2021
*C-NET HOURS:
Starting on June 4TH 2021, C-NET's new office hours will be Monday thru Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM EST.
*Application Submission
To avoid duplicate charges, please do not submit the same application more than once. Applications may be submitted via fax, email, or post.
Be sure to keep a photocopy of your application for your own records.
*Permit Extensions/Absent from Test
In June of 2020, C-NET began actively waiving the “Absent From Test” penalty fees for all candidates due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We did this in
conjunction with our testing partner, PSI, who also agreed to waive their fees in light of the pandemic. Now, more than one year later, vaccination
procedures are achieving their desired effect, and the number of PSI facility closures due to COVID has dramatically decreased. In light of these
trends, we will be returning to the previous protocol for handling absences. Be advised that starting September 1ST, 2021, PSI will no longer
waive fees for COVID-related absences at their testing locations. As such, candidates who miss their previously scheduled examinations with
PSI will again be subject to the rescheduling fee stated in the current candidate handbook.
*How long can I wait to schedule my examination?
Once you have been registered to test by C-NET, our testing partner, PSI, will email you a scheduling link to active test sites in your area. If you
are able, we suggest you schedule as soon as possible.
*What if I show up for my scheduled test date and the testing center is closed?
Our normal procedure requires that you be contacted immediately if there are any changes to a specific test site in which you are currently
scheduled. However, these are unprecedented times and since we prioritize the safety of our candidates first, it is conceivable that an emergency
closure of a site could happen before all scheduled candidates are alerted. Naturally, should this unlikely scenario take place, we ask for your
patience and understanding, and want you to know that you will be afforded every accommodation to retest at no charge.
Information Specific to CCHT/CCHT-A Technicians
(Technicians with Federally Mandated Certifications)
*CMS 18-Month Rule Waiver
The 18-month rule for dialysis technicians, which states that all chronic care dialysis technicians must become certified within 18-months of
being hired, is part of the CMS’s End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Conditions for Coverage regulations/requirements. According to the public
health emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, as declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under section 319 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. §247d):
The decision to waive the 18-month rule requirement for dialysis technicians remains in effect and "will likely remain in place for the entirety of
2021. When a decision is made to terminate the declaration or let it expire, HHS will provide states with 60 days’ notice prior to termination".
While it is likely that this waiver will persist until the end of the national health emergency, the decision to renew the waiver is reevaluated every
90 days.
*ESRD Conditions for Coverage Waiver Renewal
Last renewed on 10/15/2021
Next Evaluation Date: 01/14/2022
Be advised that there is currently no provision to grant additional time past the health emergency, and dialysis facilities are expected to be in
compliance when the health emergency is lifted.
List of Currently Opened Test Sites
C-NET has resumed testing (meeting social distancing requirements) in various locations throughout the United States in accordance with federal and state guidelines and will continue to adds sites as they become available. Once you have been registered to test by C-NET, PSI will send you a link to active testing locations in your area.
TEST SITE INFORMATION
Read THIS before clicking the link below:
• For an up-to-date list of which sites are open, CLICK HERE.
• For a list of FAQs about PPE and other COVID-19 implemented
precautions at PSI test sites, CLICK HERE.
TESTING SAFELY
during a national health emergency
Information regarding scheduling
and tentative site closures during
the current
COVID-19 outbreak
