News

In a study of 156 front-line hospital workers who tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, 94% had lower antibody levels 60 days later, including 28% whose antibodies fell below the threshold for a positive test result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule amending the Department of Health and Human Services’ Risk Adjustment Data Validation program, which validates the data that health insurers submit to HHS to determine risk adjustments based on the individuals they enroll.

Over the next several months, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases expects to enroll up to 1,500 adult COVID-19 hospital patients who require supplemental oxygen in a global clinical trial that aims to determine whether baricitinib or dexamethasone is more effective at preventing mechanical ventilation or death when administered with remdesivir.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has assigned Medicare Severity-Diagnosis-Related Groups to six new ICD-10 diagnosis codes for reporting conditions related to COVID-19 on medical claims effective Jan. 1.

The Department of Health and Human Services seeks comments for 30 days from health care providers and other stakeholders on the need to make permanent any regulatory flexibilities the agency has implemented in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

As urged by the AHA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gave hospitals facing a surge in COVID-19 patients expanded flexibility to care for Medicare patients outside their walls.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule revising the requirements for organ procurement organizations that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as required by an executive order last year.

A new AHA TrendWatch report examines teaching hospitals’ impact on a transforming health care landscape.

The Food and Drug Administration approved using the antiviral treatment Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) to prevent flu in patients age 12 or older who have been exposed to someone with flu.

The Food and Drug Administration has posted a webpage with answers to frequently asked questions about face masks, surgical masks and respirators for COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommendations for COVID-19 testing before and after international air travel.

The departments of Health and Human Services and Defense announced an $11.6 million contract to domestically produce more nasal swabs for the Cue Health molecular testing system, which detects the COVID-19 virus in about 20 minutes at the point of care.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released updated guidance for states and territories on Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program and Basic Health Program coverage and reimbursement for COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released recommendations for the ethical allocation of COVID-19 vaccines, once available to the public.

The AHA, along with the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Anesthesiologists and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, released Joint Statement: Roadmap for Maintaining Essential Surgery during COVID-19 Pandemic, an update to a previous joint statement most recently released in August.

“[T]his year, we need to show our appreciation to our healthcare heroes and the love we have for our family and friends by wearing a mask and avoiding large family gatherings,” writes Robyn Begley, AHA’s chief nursing officer and CEO of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, in an op-ed published today in Fierce Healthcare.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Health and Human Services said they continue to assess the ransomware threat to the health care sector.

The AHA released a detailed summary of two final rules that would modernize and make important changes to policies governing physician self-referral (Stark law) and federal anti-kickback statute regulations.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded about $45 million to expand the research network for its Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations program.

The Department of Health and Human Services seeks information on innovative approaches and best practices developed to promote health care access, quality and value during the COVID-19 pandemic to inform the agency’s priorities and programs.