Coronavirus update for Tuesday, June 2, 2020 as of 2:45 p.m. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services The Quality, Safety & Oversight Group of CMS’s Center for Clinical Standards and Quality has written to state Medicaid agencies about COVID-19 survey activities, CARES Act funding, and enhanced enforcement for infection control deficiencies and quality improvement activities in nursing homes. The memo calls on states to do a more complete job of inspecting nursing homes for their infection control efforts, proposes penalties for states that fail to do so, and explains that [...]

Coronavirus update for Friday, May 29 as of 2:30 p.m. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services In the past week CMS issued five section 1135 waivers to give states greater flexibility to serve their Medicaid beneficiaries during the COVID-19 public health emergency.  It issued waivers to Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Vermont. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC has issued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for two specific commercial diagnostic tests for COVID-19 intended for self-collection in the home or in health care settings. Find them here and [...]

Coronavirus update for Wednesday, May 27 as of 2:30 p.m. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has published a fact sheet for state and local governments on how to seek payments from CMS programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP for outpatient services and acute inpatient care provided at alternative care sites established in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Department of Health and Human Services ASPR TRACIE, sponsored by HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to provide Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange [...]