The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Monday, January 11.
Department of Health and Human Services
- HHS has formally extended its declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days, until April 21.
- HHS has announced the extension of its Community Based Testing Site program for COVID-19 testing. Through partnerships with national pharmacy and retail chains and service providers, this program has resulted in establishing more than 3,300 COVID-19 testing locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CMS has updated its COVID-19 FAQ on Medicare fee-for-service billing. One new question, beginning at the bottom of page 27, addresses the application of the 20 percent Medicare add-on payment for patients with a principal or secondary diagnosis of COVID-19 and directs stakeholders to further information.
- CMS has sent a memo to Medicare Advantage organizations, Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors, and Medicare-Medicaid plans explaining how claims for COVID-19 vaccines will be processed.
- CMS has updated its list of hospitals approved to participate in its Acute Hospital Care at Home program.
- CMS has updated its FAQs for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) agencies. The updates can be found separately in this document (the contents of which also have been integrated into the larger collection of FAQs).
- CMS has updated its COVID-19 FAQ for Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls
CMS hosts recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information about the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer participants an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls
Tuesday, January 12 at 5:00 – 6:00 PM (eastern)
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 4688247
Audio Webcast link: go here.
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety: A Fireside Chat with CMS, CDC, and front line staff and providers
Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 4:00 pm (eastern)
To submit questions, write to COVID-19@cms.hhs.gov. There will not be a Q&A session during the call.
Resource: Long term Care toolkit: go here.
Register in advance here.
Food and Drug Administration
- The FDA has issued an alert to health care providers and clinical laboratory staff about a COVID-19 virus mutation that may lead to false negative results in molecular tests.
- The FDA posted a new webpage: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The CDC has updated its FAQs with clinical information about COVID-19.
- The CDC has updated its information about new COVID-19 variants and posted data on diagnosed COVID-19 variant cases.
- The CDC has updated its background information on vaccine considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- The CDC has updated its interim COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing home residents and health care workers.
Department of Labor
The Department of Labor has issued guidance on federal pandemic unemployment compensation and mixed earner unemployment compensation. Go here to see the Labor Department’s announcement and here to see the guidance itself.