The following is the latest COVID-19 information from Pennsylvania state and federal regulators as of 4:30 on Thursday, April 9.
Pennsylvania Update
SNAP Advocacy for Additional COVID-19 Funding for Safety-Net Hospitals
Yesterday SNAP wrote to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma asking her to give special consideration to high-volume Medicaid hospitals in the distribution of additional grants from the $100 billion designated for hospitals and health care providers in the CARES Act. The previous day, Ms. Verma publicly acknowledged that the first round of that funding, to be received by hospitals later this week, may not have been entirely fair to high-volume Medicaid providers and said CMS would address shortcoming that when it plans its next round of CARES Act grants. Find that letter here, on SNAP’s web site.
SNAP also wrote yesterday to every member of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation, asking them to work with their colleagues to ensure that additional funds for safety-net hospitals are included in any future COVID-19-related legislation. Find that letter here.
Department of Health Daily Briefing
- For the first time in five days the number of reported cases rose significantly: 18 percent.
- But new deaths were less than one-third of those from the previous day.
- 1058 residents of 168 long-term-care facilities have now tested positive.
- As have 850 health care workers.
- 2033 Pennsylvanians are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, still about 11 percent of the total cases.
- 600 are on ventilators.
- 45 percent of the state’s acute-care beds and 37 percent of its ICU beds remain unoccupied and 70 percent of its ventilators are currently available for use.
- The state will soon be sharing more specific information about the precise location of cases with county emergency management officials.
- The state plans to work with home health care associations to ensure that home health care workers assigned to care for COVID-19 patients in their homes have appropriate personal protective equipment.
- Secretary Levine believes social distancing is working, noting that the curve is no longer rising as much. Problems remain, though, in southeastern and northeastern Pennsylvania.
- A mass testing site is planned for northeastern Pennsylvania and a field hospital will be established in East Stroudsburg.
- Amid reports that ventilator use is not as effective as originally expected, Secretary Levine said the state has no formal standards for the use of ventilators in the care of COVID-19 patients and is leaving those decisions to individual doctors.
Department of Human Services
- DHS’s Office for Civil Rights has issued a “quick tips” document with telemedicine guidelines for COVID-19. The document explains that the Office of Civil Rights will exercise its enforcement discretion regarding compliance with federal HIPAA standards. It also outlines some of the technologies providers may use when serving patients through telehealth and lists the telehealth services Medicaid fee-for-service will cover during the current health emergency. Finally, the document notes that guidance regarding the use of COVID-19 CR modifiers and DR condition codes will be forthcoming.
- Another DHS quick tips document describes changes in the prior authorization requirements in the state Medicaid program for certain services during the COVID-19 emergency. According to the document, during the COVID-19 emergency prior authorization requirements are now waived for admission to a variety of types of facilities; it also lists specific services for which prior authorization requirements are not waived. These temporary policy changes apply to the Medicaid fee-for-services program, the HealthChoices physical health program, and Community HealthChoices.
- Yet another quick tips document describes provider enrollment and revalidation changes during the COVID-19 emergency. The document describes changes both for providers currently enrolled in the Pennsylvania Medicaid program and providers not currently enrolled in that program.
- DHS has issued a CHIP policy clarification explaining that effective immediately, the PRV720 provider revalidation file will be suspended and providers who have not completed their revalidation will not be terminated.
- DHS has announced that during the COVID-19 crisis, use of the Medical Assistance Transportation Program will be limited to patients seeking assistance with urgent medical problems. Patients suspected of having COVID-19 may not be permitted to use the program and will need to seek alternative transportation arrangements.
- DHS’s Office of Long-Term Living has updated its provider guidance on policy changes in the state’s LIFE (Living Independence for the Elderly) program as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.
Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
DDAP has posted a COVID-19 resource guide for individuals with substance abuse disorder.
Federal Update
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS has issued a news release announcing that it has approved approximately $34 billion for providers through its Accelerated and Advance Payment Program, which was created in the CARES Act. Note: CMS is now touting this as $51 billion in payments, but has not updated the press release at this time.
See an updated list of the section 1135 waivers CMS has granted to help states and health care providers respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
National Institutes of Health
The NIH has announced the launch of a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of adults hospitalized with COVID-19.
Department of Health and Human Services
- The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $1.3 billion to 1387 health centers to help communities detect, prevent, diagnose, and treat COVID-19. See an interactive map that shows the centers awarded grants here.
- HHS has issued guidance that authorizes pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 tests, including serology tests.
- The Department of Health and Human Services has published a notice in the Federal Register extending until June 21 the public comment period for addressing section 209 of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Technology Act.
- HHS has released a notice that will be published in the Federal Register explaining that it is exercising its discretion in how it applies HIPAA’s privacy, security, and breach notification rules in connection with good faith participation in the operation of COVID-19 community-based testing sites.
- HHS’s Administration for Community Living has announced that it will award $50 million in contracts to support efforts by Aging and Disability Resource Centers to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
Food and Drug Administration
- The FDA has issued a statement on the use of serology tests to use to identify individuals who have overcome COVID-19 and may have immunity to it.
- The FDA recently posted information regarding shortages of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to its drug shortages web page due to a significant surge in demand.
- The FDA has published final guidance to health care professionals and investigators on the administration and study of investigational convalescent plasma collected from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 and offers recommendations on the collection of COVID-19 convalescent plasma.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA has posted a notice that it is issuing a temporary rule to allocate certain scarce or threatened materials for domestic use so that these materials may not be exported from the U.S. without the agency’s explicit approval. These items include ventilators, personal protective equipment, and materials used to make personal protective equipment.
Resources to Consult
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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