Coronavirus update for Thursday, May 7 as of 2:30 p.m.
Department of Health and Human Services Provider Relief Fund
- HHS has extended the deadline for attestation and acceptance of terms and conditions for payments from the Provider Relief Fund from the current 30 days to 45 days.
- HRSA, which is administering the program through which providers can submit claims for COVID-19-related care they provide to uninsured patients, has posted an FAQ based on a webinar it held last week to address how providers can submit those claims.
- HRSA also has posted a video demonstrating how to add and attest to the patient roster on the portal for submitting claims for COVID-19 care for the uninsured.
Department of Health and Human Services
HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s Technical Resources Assistance Center and Information Exchange will hold a webinar titled “COVID-19: Healthcare System Operations Strategies and Experiences” next Monday, May 11 at 2:00 p.m. (eastern) to help health systems incorporate experiences and lessons learned from hospitals in New York, Louisiana, and Arizona that have been hit especially hard by COVID-19. Find information about the webinar here.
Health Resources and Services Administration
HRSA has awarded nearly $583 million to 1385 HRSA-funded health centers in all 50 states. The primary purpose of this funding is to expand COVID-19 testing. See HRSA’s announcement here and an interactive map showing award recipients here.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- CMS has issued an interim final rule updating requirements for notification of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases among residents and staff in nursing homes. In the guidance, nursing homes are directed to report COVID-19 data to the CDC and the residents of nursing homes and their families and representatives.
- CMS has posted an updated list of lab test codes for COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- The CDC has updated its FAQ for infection prevention and control in health care settings.
- The CDC has created a web page to share information about its own COVID-19 serology test and its possible future uses.
- The CDC has posted guidance for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools, and homes.
- The CDC also has published separate reopening guidance for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools, and homes.
Federal Funding Opportunities for Hospitals
The National Alliance of Safety-Net Hospitals has prepared a document that collects and presents in one place the various new federal funding opportunities for hospitals resulting from legislation addressing the COVID-19 public health emergency. Find that document here.