News

Community-based primary and behavioral health care providers, hospital emergency departments and other eligible entities can apply through May 22 for grants of up to $800,000 to support suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced.

The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance that, among other changes, expands the ability of taxpayers to make mid-year elections for health coverage, health flexible spending arrangements and dependent care assistance programs in response to changing needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Administration provided further clarity on how it reviews borrowers’ required good-faith certification for Paycheck Protection Program loan requests.

FEMA updated its policy for determining medical care costs eligible for assistance under its Public Assistance Program, available to government entities and certain private non-profit organizations during the COVID-19 emergency. 

Recognizing the ongoing efforts of hospital and health systems fighting COVID-19 in their communities while also providing care for other patient needs, the AHA has cancelled its Leadership Summit, scheduled for July 19-21, 2020 in San Diego, and all affiliated events.

CMS next month will begin collecting and distributing risk adjustment payments in the permanent risk adjustment program for benefit years 2014-2018, the agency announced yesterday.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services May 12 and May 14 will host calls for hospitals, health systems and providers on COVID-19.

Deaths were 75% higher than usual in New York City between March 11 and May 2, with most of the estimated 24,172 increase likely due to COVID-19, according to a report by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released by the CDC.

A new AHA resource shares ways hospitals and health systems are caring for mothers and babies during the COVID-19 crisis.

The FDA authorized the emergency use of Fresenius Propoven 2% Emulsion, which the agency says "may be effective to maintain sedation via continuous infusion in patients greater than 16 years old with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 who require mechanical ventilation in an ICU setting."

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently provided hospitals with new Medicare blanket waivers to address the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The federal government continues to learn lessons about distributing COVID-19 therapeutics, such as remdesivir, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, M.D., said at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing.

House Democrats unveiled the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act — a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief package.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule that implements the standards governing health insurance issuers and the Health Insurance Marketplaces (or “exchanges”) for 2021.

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Month during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to remember that around 45% of U.S. hospitals and health systems do not offer specialized behavioral services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the COVID-19 Data Tracker, a website showing data on U.S. laboratory testing and cases reported to CDC from state health departments and territorial jurisdictions.

The COVID-19 pandemic could increase “deaths of despair” from alcohol, drug misuse and suicide by between 27,644 and 154,037 over the decade, depending how quickly the economy recovers.

The Food and Drug Administration expanded the list of drugs covered under newly flexible compounding policies to include two that may be in short supply because of the COVID-19 pandemic: morphine sulfate and epinephrine.

The Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 antigen test, which can quickly detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a nasal swab sample.

The Department of Health and Human Services distributed $22 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to hospitals with high numbers of COVID-19 admissions, as well as rural hospitals and clinics.