News

The Food and Drug Administration does not intend to object to a manufacturer or authorized distributor delivering prescription drug samples directly to licensed practitioners or their patients at their homes during the COVID-19 emergency when requested by the practitioner in accordance with requirements, according to guidance released.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a guide for patients considering in-person, non-emergency treatment as the country continues to reopen and COVID-19 cases decline.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced in an email that it is planning an additional distribution of funds to hospitals that have been particularly affected by the increased burden of caring for those with COVID-19.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will distribute $10 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to hospitals that serve a disproportionate number of Medicaid patients or provide large amounts of uncompensated care. 

The Internal Revenue Service issued a proposed rule implementing a provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that imposed a 21% excise tax on certain executive compensation paid by tax-exempt organizations.

FDA released new guidance that expands for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency the availability and capability of non-invasive monitoring devices.

CMS released guidance for non-federal governmental plans implementing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act requirement to cover COVID-19 diagnostic testing and certain related items and services without cost-sharing, prior authorization or other medical management restrictions during the public health emergency.

The Food and Drug Administration reissued emergency use authorizations that revise policy on the types of respirators that can be decontaminated for reuse.

Any way you cut it, this has been a very tough few weeks in our country. We have witnessed a colorful tapestry of Americans voicing loud opposition to the systemic injustices and institutional racism. We’re also seeing centuries’ worth of wounds being opened and spilling into our streets — and tragically into our emergency departments — here in the greater Kansas City metro and in cities of every size coast-to-coast.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response shared resources for protecting community hospitals and providing care during civil unrest.

Eligible hospitals can apply through July 6 to participate in the Medicare Direct Contracting Model, which will offer two primary care payment options for hospitals beginning next April.

After losing 1.5 million jobs in April, the health care field added 312,000 jobs in May, increasing 2% to a seasonally adjusted 15.2 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The Food and Drug Administration released COVID-19 performance data for four more antibody test kits. The results come from the first collaboration between FDA, the National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

The Department of Health and Human Services released guidance specifying what data laboratories must report to HHS along with their COVID-19 test results, the method for submission, and the data reporting and transmission requirements.

The AHA is sharing new case studies, leadership blogs and tools every day this week to mark Community Health Improvement Week.

The Food and Drug Administration this week released guidance for institutional review boards seeking clarity regarding the key factors and procedures they should consider when reviewing requests by physicians and others for individual patient access to investigational drugs.

Social distancing interventions started earlier in the COVID-19 epidemic appear to delay the epidemic curve while interventions started later appear to flatten it, according to a new study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently issued new guidance implementing the Medicaid Optional Uninsured COVID-19 Testing (XXIII) Group, established by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. 

The Senate approved by unanimous consent the AHA-supported Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (H.R. 7010) to allow more leeway for small business loans during the COVID-19 crisis.

June 5 is the fourth annual Hospitals Against Violence Hope (#HAVhope) Friday.