News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. ET will host a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity webinar on improving clinicians’ understanding the relationship between COVID-19 and the concerns of people who use drugs or who have a substance use disorder.

The AHA released a public service announcement urging the American public not to delay getting the preventive, scheduled and emergency services they need, and noting that hospitals and health systems are always there, ready to care. The PSA, available in English and Spanish, can be adapted by AHA members with their organization’s logo for their use.

The Food and Drug Administration Oct. 12 issued an emergency use authorization for Abbott Laboratories’ AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgM (Immunoglobulin M) lab-based serology test.

A new poll by Gallup is showing sharp declines in Americans’ willingness to be vaccinated for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Drug maker Johnson & Johnson Oct. 12 announced the pause of its large-scale, pivotal, multi-country phase 3 trial for its JNJ-78436735 COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The Department of Health and Human Services Oct. 9 published an FAQ saying that providers cannot use COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund distributions to repay payments made under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Accelerated and Advance Payment programs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Oct. 9 announced a crackdown on labs that are testing for COVID-19 without proper Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certification.

The Department of Health and Human Services Oct. 9 released the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB), 2020-2025, mapping the next five years of coordinated, strategic federal actions to address antibiotic resistance.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation Oct. 10 announced the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, a $25 million, public-private partnership to expedite progress and strategically advance solutions to Lyme and other tickborne diseases.

The Next Generation Accountable Care Organization model reduced gross Medicare spending for calendar years 2016 to 2018 by $349 million (0.9%) without increasing preventable hospitalizations or readmissions, according to findings released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense Oct. 9 announced support for AstraZeneca’s late-stage development and large-scale manufacturing of the AZD7442 investigational treatment for COVID-19.

We know that prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, demand for health care workers and health care job openings were at record highs. We also know that the pandemic created pressure to quickly ramp up staffing levels and optimize surge capacity, even as the cancellation of non-emergent surgeries caused serious financial challenges for hospitals and health systems.

The average annual premium for employer-sponsored family health coverage rose 4% this year to $21,342, including employer and worker contributions, according to the latest annual survey of employer-sponsored health insurance by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The AHA joined five other national medical groups in urging the Department of Homeland Security to exclude foreign national physicians in the J-1 visa program from a proposed change to the process for extending certain non-immigrant visa stays in the United States.

Among 767 hotspot counties for COVID-19 in June and July, early increases in the rate of positive test results for Americans under age 25 were followed by several weeks of rising positivity rates in older age groups, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The National Institutes of Health has launched a global clinical trial to test a potential COVID-19 treatment that combines remdesivir with a highly concentrated antibody solution.

A bipartisan group of 32 senators expressed concerns that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Sept. 19 change to COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund reporting requirements will create uncertainty and financial hardship for hospitals, particularly those in rural areas.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced new repayment terms for payments received under its Accelerated and Advance Payment programs, including a longer time period before repayment, lower recoupment rates during repayment, lower interest on remaining unpaid balance, and additional repayment flexibilities.

The good — our society clearly recognizes the vital role our hospitals and health systems play in our nation’s critical infrastructure and how important they are to our communities’ health and safety. The bad — we have seen an increase in the frequency, severity and sophistication of cyberattacks targeting hospitals and health systems.

The Health Resources and Services Administration Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. ET will host a webcast to provide additional information on the latest round of COVID-19 Provider Relief Funds.