The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16.
Department of Health and Human Services
HHS and the Department of Defense released documents outlining their strategy for delivering COVID-19 vaccine doses. The documents provide a strategic distribution overview along with an interim playbook for state, tribal, territorial, and local public health programs and their partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19 within their respective jurisdictions. Learn more from the following documents:
- HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has published a compilation of considerations for long-term-care facilities based on lessons learned during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic accompanied by resources to inform planning and response efforts.
- HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response will hold a series of webinars on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting children. See this notice for dates, times, and registration information.
- The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response holds weekly peer-to-peer clinical rounds webinars during which providers share experiences and respond to questions about their COVID-19 response efforts. Separate webinars cover EMS patient care and operations, critical care lifesaving treatment and clinical operations, and emergency department patient care and clinical operations. Go here to subscribe to notices about the webinars and go here for information about and access to past webinars.
HHS and the Department of Defense released documents outlining their strategy for delivering COVID-19 vaccine doses. The documents provide a strategic distribution overview along with an interim playbook for state, tribal, territorial, and local public health programs and their partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19 within their respective jurisdictions. Learn more from the following documents:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CMS has updated its FAQ on Medicare fee-for-service billing with nine new questions that generally address coverage for telehealth services along with services that can be ordered by non-physicians during the COVID-19 emergency. Find the new questions on pages 116, 120-121, 121 (three questions), 122 (three questions), and 123.
- CMS revised the MLN Matters article on provider waivers established in the CARES Act to advise providers on how to inform their MAC that a given claim does not qualify for the 20 percent supplement for COVID-19-related treatment.
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls
CMS hosts recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to its 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 attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Call
Tuesday, September 22 at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll-free attendee dial-in: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 2409459
To join call, go here.
Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19
Friday, September 18 at 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern
Toll-free attendee dial-in: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 4446447
To join call, go here.
Home Health and Hospice Call
Tuesday, September 22 at 3:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Toll-free attendee dial-in: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 1169237
To join call, go here.
Nursing Homes Call
Friday, September 18 at 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern
Toll-free attendee dial-in: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 4446447
To join call, go here.
Dialysis Organizations Call
Wednesday, September 23 at 5:30 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll-free attendee dial-in: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 7026727
To join call, go here.
Nurses Call
Thursday, September 24 at 3:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Toll-free attendee dial-in: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 5872398
To join call, here.
Conference lines are limited, so CMS encourages interested parties to join via audio webcast. To listen to the audio files and read the transcripts for these and past COVID-19 Stakeholder calls, visit CMS’s Podcast and Transcripts page.
Department of Labor
- In the wake of a recent court ruling, the Department of Labor has published a temporary rule refining the conditions under which employees of health care providers may take paid family or medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has published a notice seeking public comment about whether the federal government should purchase and deploy reusable respirators for Strategic National Stockpile because of the continued shortage of N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Comments are due by October 14.
- The CDC has updated its interim guidance for implementing safety practices for critical infrastructure workers who may have been exposed to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
- The CDC has updated its advice on how people with certain medical conditions can protect themselves from COVID-19.
The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has Food and Drug Administration
- The FDA will host virtual town halls on September 23 and September 30 for clinical laboratories and commercial manufacturers that are developing or have developed diagnostic tests for COVID-19. The purpose of this event is to help answer technical questions about the development and validation of tests for COVID-19. Learn more about the town halls, when they will be held, and how interested parties can participate in this FDA notice.
- The FDA will host a webinar on gowns and apparel for use by health care personnel on September 29 from 12:00 pm-1:00 pm (eastern). Go here for log-in information, the slide presentation that will be used during the webinar, and access to resources from past webinars on this subject.
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