Coronavirus update for Monday, May 4 as of 2:30 p.m.

Department of Health and Human Services

  • Last Friday HHS began processing $22 billion in payments from the CARES Act’s provider relief fund to hospitals with large numbers of COVID-19 admissions through April 10 and to rural providers in support of the national response to COVID-19.  See HHS’s announcement of the distribution of this money, including a breakdown by state of grant recipients.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

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.  Conference lines are limited so CMS encourages interested parties to join via audio webcast.  Call recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page at https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/PodcastAndTranscripts

CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Call

Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and health care systems to increase hospital capacity, expand the health care work force, and promote greater use of telehealth in Medicare.  This week’s first of two Office Hours Calls will be held on Tuesday, May 5 at 5:00 p.m. (eastern).  The toll-free dial-in number is 833-614-0820 and the access passcode is 3996146.  Interested parties also can join the audio webcast here.

This week’s second Office Hours Call will be held on Thursday, May 7 at 5:00 p.m. (eastern).  The toll-free dial-in number is 833-614-0820 and the access passcode is 1181167.  Interested parties also can join the audio webcast here.

Lessons from the Front Lines

Lessons from the Front Lines calls are a joint effort between CMS Administrator Seema Verma, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, and the White House Coronavirus Task Force.  Physicians and other clinicians are invited to share their experience, ideas, strategies, and insights with one another related to their COVID-19 response.  There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters.  This week’s Lessons From the Front Lines call will be held on Friday, May 8 at 12:30 p.m. (eastern).  The toll-free dial-in number is 877-251-0301 and the access code is 9146779.  Interested parties also can join the meeting via audio webcast here.

Home Health and Hospice

This week’s home health and hospice call will be held on Tuesday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m. (eastern).  The toll-free dial-in number is 833-614-0820 and the access passcode is 7844154.  Interested parties also can join the meeting via audio webcast here.

Nursing Homes

This week’s nursing homes call will be held on Wednesday, May 6 at 4:30 p.m. (eastern).  The toll-free dial-in number is 833-614-0820 and the access passcode is  8899983.  Interested parties also can join the meeting via audio webcast here.

Dialysis Organizations

This week’s call for dialysis organizations will be held on Wednesday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. (eastern).  The toll-free dial-in number is 833-614-0820 and the access passcode is 8278522.  Interested parties also can join the meeting via audio webcast here.

Nurses

This week’s call for nurses will be held on Thursday, May 7 at 3:00 p.m. (eastern).  The toll-free dial-in number is 833-614-0820 and the access passcode is 5486361.  Interested parties also can join the meeting via audio webcast here.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Food and Drug Administration

Department of Labor

  • The Department of Labor has issued additional guidance about 100 percent federal reimbursement of certain state short-term compensation payments and other changes in short-term compensation programs.  The guidance seeks to address “…how states can take advantage of this program as they look to re-open their businesses.”  For further information see the department’s news release and its official unemployment insurance program letter.

National Institutes of Health

Federal Funding Opportunities for Hospitals

  • NASH has prepared a document that collects and presents in one place the various new federal funding opportunities for hospitals resulting from legislation addressing the COVID-19 public health emergency.  Find that document here.

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