News

The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening our country and straining many hospitals and health systems — and their team members — like never before. We have an awesome responsibility in this national crisis … and our field is stepping up, just as we always do.

The Department of Health and Human Services designated certain health and medical resources needed to respond to the spread of COVID-19 subject to hoarding restrictions under the Defense Production Act and a March 23 executive order.

The AHA ran an ad in Roll Call recognizing the hospital heroes responding to COVID-19.

AccuWeather is offering its weather warning notification service complimentary to all hospitals and public health agencies that have erected temporary structures for COVID-19 testing and triage. 

To increase the supply of hand sanitizers, FDA issued guidance for manufacturers that would like to produce alcohol (i.e., ethanol or ethyl alcohol) for use in alcohol-based hand sanitizers for consumers and health care personnel.

The Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization to ease ventilator supply shortages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its COVID-19 testing priority guidance, which gives first priority to testing hospitalized patients and symptomatic health care workers.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar asked the nation’s governors to immediately allow health professionals licensed or certified in other states to practice in their state in person or through telemedicine.

The Senate late last night 96-0 passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (H.R. 748). The bill is the third large-scale congressional effort in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The House is expected to pass the legislation on Friday.

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission published a pair of reports. In its March report to Congress, MACPAC, a key congressional advisor on the Medicaid program, updated its annual analyses of disproportionate share hospitals, including national estimates of the number of these facilities, spending by state, and uncompensated care costs by hospital type.

Ensuring that health care workers have the personal protective equipment needed to protect themselves so they can treat COVID-19 patients is the top priority, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said on Fox and Friends.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients contains viable antibodies to treat SARS-CoV-2 in the sickest patients.

he Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it has granted Section 1135 Medicaid waivers to an additional seven states.

The Department of Labor has released information on common issues employers and employees face when responding to COVID-19.

National health expenditures are projected to grow an average 5.4% annually during 2019-2028, outpacing average projected growth in gross domestic product by 1.1 percentage points, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary reported in Health Affairs.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights issued guidance on disclosing protected health information about individuals who have been infected with or exposed to COVID-19.

The National Uniform Billing Committee has issued guidance to help health care providers flag claims for COVID-19-related services.

The Joint Commission Tuesday issued the following FAQs related to COVID-19: 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued an FAQ to address a temporary 6.2% increase to qualifying states’ and territories’ Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, enacted as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act signed into law on March 18.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued an FAQ to outline COVID-19-related payment and grace period flexibilities for issuers offering coverage on the federally-facilitated exchanges and state-based exchanges on the federal platform.