News

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions about religious objections to employer COVID-19 vaccine requirements and how they interact with federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws. 

The Nebraska Hospital Association named as its president, effective Dec. 6, Jeremy Nordquist, who currently serves as government affairs director for Nebraska Medicine and has 20 years’ experience in advocacy at the state and federal level. Laura Redoutey, NHA president since 2000, will retire Dec. 31. 

Starting today, consumers can preview 2022 health plans and prices at the federally facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace. Open enrollment for 2022 Marketplace plans begins Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15.

The National Institutes of Health will use $70 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for a program to speed development of accurate and reliable over-the-counter tests for COVID-19, the Department of Health and Human Services announced.

Moderna released topline results from its ongoing phase 2/3 clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine for children age 6 through 11, revealing a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released Medicare Part B billing codes and payment allowances for reporting and administering single booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to eligible adults as authorized Oct. 22 by the Food and Drug Administration.

The AHA sent a letter of support for the Student Assisted Vaccination Effort (SAVE) Act (S. 2114 ), a Senate bill that would expand the types of providers covered by the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act to include health care students assisting with administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Oct. 26 is the deadline for health care providers to apply to the Health Resources and Services Administration for a portion of $25.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funds.

Increased health care use and intensity of services have been the key drivers of health care spending growth as the U.S. population continues to age, with hospital price growth averaging just 2% annually from 2010 to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released today by the AHA.

On this episode, I talk with Maureen Bisognano, a prominent authority on improving health care systems. Maureen served as Institute for Healthcare Improvement president and CEO for five years and IHI executive vice president and chief operating officer for 15 years.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the HHS Racial Equity in Postpartum Care Challenge, a competition dedicated to upgrading postpartum care for Black and Native women enrolled in the Medicaid or CHIP programs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched for state Medicaid agencies and stakeholders on Medicaid.gov a webpage dedicated to advancing transparency and innovation for home and community-based services.

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.