Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) News

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of two new products designed to respond to the COVID-19 ventilator shortage.

U.S. hospital emergency department visits declined by an estimated 42% between March 29 and April 25 compared to a year ago, while visits for infectious disease screening or exposure were nearly four times higher, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation today announced several COVID-19-related modifications to current and future CMMI alternative payment models.

The Department of Health and Human Services said it is providing an additional $250 million to aid health systems’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 3rd is the deadline for eligible health care providers to submit their revenue information to the Department of Health and Human Services to potentially qualify for an additional payment from the $50 billion general distribution of provider relief emergency funds.

The Department of Health and Human Services June 1 announced that the next deadline for submitting data to inform the agency’s distribution of its supply of remdesivir is June 8 at 8 p.m. ET.

Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance committees asked Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to clarify by June 10 the agency’s plan and timeline for disbursing COVID-19 emergency relief funds to Medicaid-dependent providers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Food and Drug Administration updated guidance to spur wider availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $20.3 million to increase the number of fellows at accredited addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry fellowship programs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented several new infection control actions to combat COVID-19 in nursing homes.

The AHA asked the Department of Health and Human Services to distribute substantial additional emergency funds to hospitals and health systems in an expedited manner and using a phased approach.

An estimated 9.5% of U.S. residents, or 30.7 million people, lacked health insurance when surveyed in the first six months of 2019, according to preliminary estimates from the National Health Interview Survey released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Food and Drug Administration took steps to encourage and streamline the development of COVID-19 tests whose specimens are collected at home by patients.

In a letter to the editor, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack responded to a New York Times article titled “Wealthiest Hospitals Got Billions in Bailout for Struggling Health Providers.”

The AHA is running ads in the Politico Pulse newsletter highlighting the unprecedented ways hospitals and health systems have stepped up to meet the challenges caused by COVID-19 while sustaining $50 billion in losses a month.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a $628 million agreement with Emergent BioSolutions to advance manufacturing capabilities and capacity for a potential COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics as part of Operation Warp Speed.

AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack writes a letter to the editor in response to “Wealthiest Hospitals Got Billions in Bailout for Struggling Health Providers,” May 26.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $15 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds to 52 tribal health services providers based on need and capacity to respond to COVID-19 in rural tribal communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot across the health care landscape, including how care teams communicate, interact and collaborate with others.