The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 5.

White House

• The White House has posted a transcript of the March 3 press briefing provided by its COVID-19 response team and public health officials.
• The White House has announced two new members of its COVID response team:
  • Charles Anderson – director of economic policy and budget
  • Sam Berger – director of strategic operations and policy

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• CMS has established Medicare codes for billing for the Janssen Biotech COVID-19 vaccine (the Johnson & Johnson vaccine).  Learn more from this article in the online CMS publication MLN Connects and see CMS’s COVID-19 vaccine billing codes, which have been updated to include the Janssen vaccine.  CMS also reminds providers to bill only the vaccine administration codes when they submit claims to Medicare and not to include the vaccine product codes when the vaccines are free.
• CMS has updated its Medicare Billing for COVID-19 Vaccine Shot Administration toolkit, including with information about whom to bill if patients only have Medicare Part A; obtaining proper enrollment information from patients; billing the correct payer; and how to request payments from the Provider Relief Fund for uninsured patients.  See this article in MLN Connects for additional information.
• CMS has collected its COVID-19 vaccine resources for serving hard-to-reach patients.
• CMS has updated its list of hospitals approved to participate in its Acute Hospital Care at Home Program.

HHS and CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls

HHS Clinical Rounds Peer-to-Peer Virtual Communities of Practice

HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response sponsors COVID-19 Clinical Rounds Peer-to-Peer Virtual Communities of Practice that are interactive virtual learning sessions that seek to create a peer-to-peer learning network in which clinicians from the U.S. and abroad who have experience treating patients with COVID-19 share their challenges and successes.  These webinar topics are covered every week:

• EMS:  Patient Care and Operations (Mondays, 12:00-1:00 PM eastern)
• Critical Care:  Lifesaving Treatment and Clinical Operations (Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00 PM eastern)
• Emergency Department:  Patient Care and Clinical Operations (Thursdays, 12:00-1:00 PM eastern)

Go here for information about signing up to participate in the sessions and go here for access to materials and video recordings of past sessions.

CMS Stakeholder Calls

CMS hosts recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information about the agency’s response to COVID-19.  These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer participants an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.

CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls

Tuesday, March 16 at 5:00 – 6:00 PM (eastern)

Toll Free Attendee Dial In:  833-614-0820; Access Passcode:  4177586

Audio Webcast link:  go here

Tuesday, April 6 at 5:00 – 6:00 PM (eastern)

Toll Free Attendee Dial In:  833-614-0820; Access Passcode:  2769397

Audio Webcast link:  go here

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• The CDC has posted updated information about possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
• The CDC has updated its guidance on managing patient anaphylaxis when administering COVID-19 vaccines with information about the new Janssen vaccine.
• The CDC has updated its FAQ on v-safe, a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after patients receive a COVID-19 vaccine.  Through v-safe, users can inform the CDC about any side effects they experience after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.  Depending on users’ answers, someone from CDC may call to check on them and get more information.  V-safe also reminds users to get their second COVID-19 vaccine dose if they need one.  Learn more about v-safe here.
• The CDC has published a study showing the association of state-issued mask mandates and permitting on-site restaurant dining with county-level COVID-19 case and death growth rates.
• The CDC has updated its case for residents of long-term-care facilities to be given priority in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

Food and Drug Administration

• The FDA has published a fact sheet for providers on the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and its administration.