Long-feared rationing of medical care has become a reality in some parts of the United States as the delta variant drives a new wave of coronavirus cases, pushing hospitals to the brink. Alaska and Idaho have activated statewide “crisis standards of care,” in which health systems can prioritize patients for scarce resources — based largely on their likelihood of […]

CMS’ incomplete, inaccurate data on COVID-19 cases, deaths and availability of personal protective equipment in nursing homes could hinder the government’s response to hot spots, HHS Office of Inspector General found in a report released Friday (Sept. 3). Nursing homes and resident advocates support the OIG’s suggestions that CMS improve the quality of data and […]

Tens of billions of dollars designated by Congress to help hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care providers stave off financial hardship in the coronavirus pandemic are sitting unused because the Biden administration has not released the money. As many hospitals bulge again with covid-19 patients, a wide swath of the health-care industry is exasperated that […]

HHS is not budging on its initial provider relief financial reporting deadline despite advocates’ mounting pressure for a delay, reminding relief recipients in two 15-minute stakeholder calls Thursday (Aug. 26) that they have 35 days to submit how they used COVID-19 relief to cover lost revenue and increased costs due to the pandemic. The department’s […]

The Biden administration will require nursing home workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, and there’s a possibility hospital staffers could be next. The reasoning is clear: Medical workers should be protected from passing the virus to the most vulnerable Americans — particularly as the delta variant refuels the pandemic. And the nation’s largest network […]

The number of people dying with Covid-19 in U.S. hospitals is hitting previous highs in some hot-spot states with low-to-average vaccination rates, upending hopes the virus has become less lethal. In Florida, an average of about 203 people a day are dying in the hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid, matching the state’s November peak, […]

Nursing homes are pressing HHS to release the next distribution of provider relief immediately and to dedicate $13 billion in COVID-19 relief to long-term care providers, warning that thousands of facilities are on the verge of closing. The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living’s letter to HHS Tuesday (Aug. 10) came after hospitals and other […]

House lawmakers advanced a bill aimed at ending shortages in domestic personal protective equipment supply chains to prepare for future pandemics. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform approved H.R. 4470 by a unanimous vote Tuesday. Its next stop is the House floor. The Covid-19 pandemic sent a shock through global supply chains of personal protective equipment, […]

A coalition of health-care organizations called on medical facilities Tuesday to mandate that their workers get vaccinated against the coronavirus, saying the strategy has worked to fight influenza and other infectious diseases and is necessary to contain the pandemic. “COVID-19 vaccination should be a condition of employment for all healthcare personnel,” the coalition’s statement reads, […]

Provider relief recipients will not receive an extension beyond Sept. 30 to report use of their relief funds and the burden of proof is on them to show they used the money to prevent, prepare for and respond to the pandemic, HHS staff said Thursday (July 8) during the first COVID-19 relief reporting webinar. Those […]