The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

Public Health Emergency Declaration Renewed

• HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has renewed his department’s declaration of a public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The renewal took effect on January 16 and extends the declaration for three months.  Find the declaration here.

Free COVID-19 Tests and Masks

• Upon request, the federal government is now providing four free monthly home COVID-19 tests to every household.  Order those tests here.
• The administration will make 400 million N95 respirators from the Strategic National Stockpile free to Americans. The N95 respirators will be available for the public to pick up at local pharmacies and health centers.  The masks will begin shipping this week and will start to become available late next week.  The notice is posted here.

White House

The White House has issued a fact sheet elaborating on several recent policy developments:

• How individuals may get free COVID-19 tests delivered to their homes.
• Additional information about the new requirement that health insurers must cover the cost of

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 21.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

The White House

The administration has announced new steps to protect Americans and help communities and hospitals battle the COVID-19 omicron variant.  The major parts of this initiative include:

• Increasing support for hospitals by deploying 1000 Department of Defense medical personnel to hospitals during January and February and federal medical personnel to some states immediately; expanding hospital capacity; providing support to states to help hospitals create and license more beds; deploying hundreds of ambulances and emergency medical teams to transport patients to available hospital beds; and providing critical supplies, including supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile and ventilators, to states.
• Ensuring access to free testing, including by launching new federal testing sites; distributing free rapid tests to Americans after purchasing 500 million such tests, with delivery expected beginning in January; and employing the Defense Production Act to accelerate test production.
• Expanding capacity to administer COVID-19 vaccines, including by establishing new pop-up vaccination clinics, deploying additional vaccinators, giving flexibility to surge pharmacy teams, and continuing to scale pharmacy capacity.

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, November 4.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

New Federal Vaccination Requirements

CMS has unveiled its new COVID-19 vaccine requirements for health care providers that receive reimbursement from the federal government.  The highlights include:

• CMS is requiring COVID-19 vaccination of eligible staff at health care facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
• The staff vaccination requirement applies to the following Medicare and Medicaid-certified provider and supplier types:  ambulatory surgery centers, community mental health centers, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities, critical access hospitals, end-stage renal disease facilities, home health agencies, home infusion therapy suppliers, hospices, hospitals, intermediate-care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, clinics, rehabilitation agencies, public health agencies as providers of outpatient physical therapy and speech-language pathology services, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Organizations (PACE), rural health clinics/federally qualified health centers, and long-term care facilities.
• Facilities covered by this regulation must establish a policy ensuring that all eligible staff have received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine prior to providing any care,

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

Provider Relief Fund:  Reminder That Applications Are Now Being Accepted

• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has opened its portal for providers to apply for $25.5 billion in health care relief funds, including $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan resources for providers that serve rural patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program and $17 billion for Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 grants, for a broad range of providers that have experienced changes in operating revenues and expenses as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.  The application deadline is October 26.  Go here for further information.

The White House

• The White House has posted a transcript of the October 13 press briefing given by its COVID-19 response team and public officials.  Find the slides presented during the briefing here.

Department of Health and Human Services

COVID-19

• HHS has renewed its declaration of a public health emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  It now extends until January 16, 2022.
• HHS’s Office of

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, September 13.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents.

Provider Relief Fund

• HHS and its Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) are making $25.5 billion in new funding available for health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  This funding includes $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan money for providers that serve rural Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or Medicare patients and an additional $17 billion for Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 grants for a broad range of providers that can document revenue loss and expenses associated with the pandemic.  To learn more about the funding to be distributed and how it will be distributed, see the following resources:
  • the HHS announcement
  • a more detailed explanation from HRSA
  • information about the calculation of Phase 3 grants

The White House

• In support of the president’s speech about his administration’s next steps in the fight against COVID-19, the White House has published a plan describing those next steps.  The plan, “Path Out of the Pandemic,” consists of six parts:
  • vaccinating the unvaccinated
  • further protecting the vaccinated