COVID-19 was the primary subject on the minds of health care executives who met with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma in western Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

Among the issues discussed at a health care forum were the concerns of hospital administrators about rising COVID-19 case counts and their worries over the adequacy of supplies of available hospital beds, drugs, and personal protective equipment in the near future; steps like enhanced access to telehealth that CMS has made available for Medicare beneficiaries to help them during the pandemic; the work – and continued existence – of the Regional Response Health Collaboratives that support long-term-care facilities fighting COVID-19 outbreaks and the possibility that those collaboratives may expire in December; and more.

Learn more about Ms. Verma’s visit to Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh Business Times article “Hospital, nursing home execs tell CMS administrator they need more help.”