News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued guidance on the American Rescue Plan Act requirement for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance programs to cover certain COVID-19-related treatments without cost-sharing effective March 11, 2021.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Food and Drug Administration extended the shelf life for the monoclonal antibody therapy etesevimab, which currently must be administered with bamlanivimab.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., recommended a single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose at least six months after completing an initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series for certain individuals at risk for severe COVID-19, as proposed by her agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., introduced the Social Determinants Accelerator Act, AHA-supported legislation that would provide planning grants and technical assistance to help states and communities address the social determinants of health for high-need patients.

New data from Pfizer is indicating high efficacy for its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster, as well as its effectiveness among the 5-11 age group.

Medicare Advantage plans provide essential health insurance coverage for approximately 22 million Americans, or about one-third of all Medicare beneficiaries.

Gloria Kupferman, AHA’s chief data strategy officer, describes a new benchmarking resource that gives AHA members access to aggregated, de-identified hospital data with standardized metrics on denials, reimbursement and claims processing, to use for analyzing operational and financial efficiency.

Oct. 23 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, an opportunity for the public to safely dispose of unwanted or expired tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs.

The Association of University Programs in Health Administration, AHA Institute for Diversity and Health Equity, American College of Healthcare Executives, National Association of Health Services Executives, and National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives announced the Teaching Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Social Justice Award, which will recognize the work and accomplishments of health care academics working toward diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Hospitals and health systems have worked hard to address workforce challenges as the COVID-19 surges continue, but are running out of options and need Congress’ help, writes Robyn Begley, AHA chief nursing officer and CEO of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, in MedPage Today. 

The AHA released a new COVID-19 Snapshot, underscoring the persisting challenges facing hospitals and health systems during the ongoing public health emergency.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized administering a single booster dose of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to eligible individuals, and authorized eligible recipients of all three authorized COVID-19 vaccines to receive a different COVID-19 vaccine for their initial and booster doses. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to recommend a single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose at least six months after completing an initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series, in the same risk groups for whom CDC recommended a Pfizer booster dose.

Learn how health care leaders such as Matthew Modica, vice president and chief information security officer at BJC HealthCare, are mitigating cyber risks as they take advantage of rapidly advancing technologies and respond to the pandemic.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Innovation Center released a strategic plan to guide its health care payment and delivery models and priorities over the next decade.

Workplace violence spurred AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence advisory group to create a framework to support hospitals’, health systems’ and security leaders’ efforts to safeguard staff and patients, writes Mary Beth Kingston, R.N., chair of the group, chief nurse officer at Advocate Aurora Health and AHA Board member.

Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and John Thune, R-S.D., introduced a Senate companion to AHA-supported legislation (H.R. 3173/S. 3018) that would establish requirements for the use of prior authorization under Medicare Advantage plans. 

A mix-and-match vaccine regimen is permissible for international travelers entering the U.S., according to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

Treatment with subcutaneous interferon beta-1a plus remdesivir was not superior to treatment with remdesivir alone in a clinical trial that enrolled 969 hospitalized adults with COVID-19 pneumonia in the United States, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and South Korea, the National Institutes of Health reported.

The Health Resources and Services Administration Oct. 21 will host the last in a series of webinar sessions on how to apply for a portion of $25.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funds.