News

During the COVID-19 emergency, the Food and Drug Administration will not take action in certain circumstances against a registered outsourcing facility for compounding certain drugs to treat hospitalized patients with COVID-19; using a bulk drug substance not on the 503B bulk list; or not meeting current good manufacturing process requirements.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released new guidance implementing several provisions included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

The AHA, American Medical Association, and American Nurses Association urged the Department of Health and Human Services to identify and address disparities in the federal response to COVID-19.

Health care providers who receive funds from the $100 billion Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund must within 30 days of receipt attest to receiving the funds and agree to the terms and conditions of payment.

The AHA urged the Department of Health and Human Services to release “substantial additional emergency funds to all hospitals in an expedited manner” as part of the second wave of funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a tripling of hepatitis C cases over the past decade, with the highest rate of infections occurring in younger adults between 20-39 years old.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently granted Section 1135 Medicaid waivers for the COVID-19 emergency to Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

Collaborating with non-governmental organizations, the Department of Health and Human Services is working to develop convalescent plasma and hyperimmune globulin immunotherapies for COVID-19 patients.

The Food and Drug Administration released an FAQ on hospitals' utilization of home-use blood glucose meters during the COVID-19 health crisis.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services clarified that the agency is waiving the Medicare coverage requirement for a three-day prior hospitalization requirement for both skilled nursing facilities and swing-bed services.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced seven new ventilator production contracts to boost national availability. Five of the contracts are rated under the Defense Production Act, meaning they must be accepted and prioritized by the contractors.

Medicare will increase payment for certain "high-throughput" COVID-19 diagnostic tests to $100 to expand testing capacity and speed results during the public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an estimated 9,282 confirmed COVID-19 cases in U.S. health care workers between Feb. 12 and April 9, representing 19% of U.S. cases for which occupational status was available.

AHA joined hospital and health system leaders at a White House event to announce the Dynamic Ventilator Reserve, a public-private online initiative to track and help distribute available ventilators and associated supplies to high-need areas of the country.

The AHA has partnered with Microsoft, Kaiser Permanente, consulting firm Kearney, Merit Solutions and UPS to launch Protecting People Everywhere, an app-powered initiative that matches individuals and organizations donating personal protective equipment with local hospitals based on need.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its infection prevention and control recommendations for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in health care settings.

The departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury April 11 issued joint guidance implementing legislative provisions specific to COVID-19 diagnostic testing and services.

The Food and Drug Administration Monday authorized emergency use of an infusion pump system to deliver nebulized medications to patients with or suspected of having COVID-19.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued additional guidance on transferring patients between long-term care facilities, which include skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes, in order to mitigate community spread of COVID-19.

Cyber criminals are mimicking popular cloud-based email services to compromise business accounts and exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to perpetrate fraud in telework environments, the FBI reports.