COVID-19

Coronavirus Update for Friday, February 26

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 on Friday, February 26. Congress The House Budget Committee has passed a COVID-19 relief bill. The following is a summary of the bill’s major spending, how it differs from the previous proposals submitted to the Budget Committee by other House committees, and what the bill does not do. Major Spending Categories The bill, which calls for $1.9 trillion in federal spending and tax credits, proposes: $350 billion for emergency aid to states, local, and tribal governments. $195 billion for state governments, with most of it [...]

iqtsupport2021-03-01T06:00:45-05:00March 1, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Thursday, February 25

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, February 25. The White House President Biden has extended the declaration of a national health emergency because of COVID-19. The White House announced a new effort to make masks more available in communities hard hit by the pandemic. The administration will deliver more than 25 million masks to more than 1300 community health centers and 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens. The White House COVID-19 response team and public health officials held a press briefing on Monday, February 22. See a transcript of [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-26T06:00:24-05:00February 26, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Monday, February 22

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Monday, February 22. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has updated its FAQ on Medicare COVID-19 billing issues with 13 new questions addressing vaccines, monoclonal antibody treatments, and ambulatory surgery centers functioning as acute-care hospitals during the public health emergency. The questions, all labeled “2/19/2021,” can be found on pages 27-28, 135-137, and 152-153. Department of Health and Human Services HHS has updated its Provider Relief Fund FAQ with an updated question about how applicants should set up an account of behalf of [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-23T06:00:19-05:00February 23, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Friday, February 19

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Friday, February 19. The White House The White House announced that it is increasing the vaccine supply sent weekly to states to 13.5 million doses a week. This is a 57 percent increase over weekly shipments a month ago. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has updated its “COVID-19 Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies” web page. The page includes: information about Medicare Part B payments for COVID-19 and certain monoclonal antibodies during the public health emergency information about payment allowances and effective dates [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-22T06:00:58-05:00February 22, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Tuesday, February 16

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16. Department of Health and Human Services HHS has announced new staff appointments. They are: Office of the Secretary Sean McCluskie, Chief of Staff Anne Reid, Deputy Chief of Staff Dawn O’Connell, Senior Counselor, COVID Response Sarah Despres, Counselor for Public Health and Science Kristin Avery, White House Liaison Kathryn Alvarez, Deputy Chief of Staff, COVID Response Perrie Briskin, Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff David Kessler, Chief Science Officer, COVID Response Shannon Myricks, Deputy White House Liaison Esmeralda Orozco, Special [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-17T08:49:22-05:00February 17, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Thursday, February 11

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, February 11. The White House The White House has announced the membership of its COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. See this White House fact sheet to learn more about the task force, its objectives, and its members. The White House has announced the introduction of a community health center vaccination program next week, with doses of vaccines to be sent directly to such facilities, and an increase in the supply of vaccines to be shared with states, tribes, and territories. Learn more from [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-12T06:00:04-05:00February 12, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Tuesday, February 9

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has updated its “COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing” document with three updated answers addressing data reporting requirements for ambulance service providers and changes in those requirements and payments for services in response to the COVID-19 emergency. The new information can be found on pages 55 and 56. HHS and CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls HHS Clinical Rounds Peer-to-Peer Virtual Communities of Practice HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-10T06:00:34-05:00February 10, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Friday, February 5

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 5. The White House The White House has published a fact sheet describing the administration’s actions to increase the COVID-19 vaccine supply, launch a federal retail pharmacy program, and expand FEMA reimbursement to states for COVID-19-related services provided by FEMA and the National Guard. A separate memo from the president to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security describes the additional responsibilities delegated to that agency in greater detail. Provider Relief Fund A new proposal has been adopted by the [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-08T06:00:03-05:00February 8, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19|

Coronavirus Update for Monday, February 1

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, February 1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has compiled resources and materials to help providers share important and relevant information about the COVID-19 vaccine with the people they serve. These resources include: CMS’s COVID-19 Partner Resources Page the HHS COVID Education Campaign page the CDC Resources for Health Care Providers Page CMS’s COVID-19 Provider Toolkit CMS’s FAQ on Medicare fee-for-service billing Resources for Medicare beneficiaries about coverage for COVID-19 vaccines CMS has updated its list of hospitals approved to participate in [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-02T06:00:00-05:00February 2, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Uncategorized|

Coronavirus Update for Friday, January 29

The following is the latest COVID-19 information from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, January 29. The Biden Administration The Biden administration has issued an “Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act” to make it easier for the uninsured to get coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order: reopens access to the federal Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace for three months, from February 15 through May 15, and restores some of the Affordable Care Act exchange marketing funds that had been eliminated by the previous administration and calls for the review of all [...]

iqtsupport2021-02-01T06:00:16-05:00February 1, 2021|Affordable Care Act, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Medicaid|