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Threatening to expel hospitals from the Medicare and Medicaid programs if they don’t report COVID-19 data to the federal government, which was outlined in a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services interim final rule released this week, “is ridiculous and should be rescinded,” according to a Washington Times editorial.

If you missed the Aug. 27 livestream, you can watch a replay of the latest episode of Leadership Rounds – short conversations on a range of key issues AHA Board Chair Melinda Estes, M.D., is having with hospital and health system leaders from across the country.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a contract award to Abbott for the delivery of 150 million rapid Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Point of Care SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests.

The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday released its COVID-19 Workforce Virtual Toolkit, which includes updated resources for hospitals.

AHA Today will not publish the week of Aug. 31. After tomorrow's newsletter, the next edition of AHA Today will be Sept. 8. AHA members will continue to receive information on breaking news or important updates.

A century ago, nominating a presidential ticket during political conventions was an arduous marathon. The Democrats opened their convention with 14 names in serious contention, while the Republicans had to whittle down their list from a dozen hopefuls.  

Approximately one-quarter of healthy women with low-risk pregnancies still undergo C-sections despite the potential risks to mothers and babies. To avoid unnecessary C-sections, hospitals are making strides in recognizing risk factors for mothers and babies sooner.

The AHA and other national health care groups urged the Department of Health and Human Services to protect 340B hospitals and the vulnerable communities they serve “from actions taken by five of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers that undermine access to critical drugs and other health care services.”

Learning mental health first aid could ease the exacerbation of behavioral health conditions during the COVID-19 public health emergency, writes Katherine Bunting, CEO of Illinois-based Fairfield Memorial Hospital.

The Department of Health and Human Services declared public health emergencies and waived certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements in Louisiana and Texas due to Hurricane Laura, and in California due to wildfires.

The Health Resources and Services Administration has distributed the first half of a planned $5 billion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Provider Relief Fund allocation to nursing homes, the agency announced.

People who have been within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms do not need to get a COVID-19 diagnostic test unless they are “a vulnerable individual” or their health care provider or public health officials recommend it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in updated guidance.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first COVID-19 antigen test that allows health care providers to read the results in minutes directly from the testing card, similar to some pregnancy tests.

The AHA’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity announced that Cone Health in Greensboro, N.C., is the recipient of the 2020 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services extended its timeline for issuing a final rule modernizing the physician self-referral regulations until Aug. 31, 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that hospitals and health systems are equipped with personal protective equipment to ensure the safety of their health care workers while providing care for patients.

Partnering with trusted sources and offering relevant incentives may encourage individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 to respond to health department contact tracing efforts, according to a report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Societal Experts Action Network.

The Defense Logistics Agency will begin distributing 1.5 million N95 respirators from the Strategic National Stockpile to about 3,330 nursing homes in the Medicare and Medicaid programs that have less than a three-day supply, the Department of Health and Human Services announced yesterday.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its national training program to prevent and control COVID-19 in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes. The training incorporates best practices and lessons learned from COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes and CMS inspections, with input from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts.

The National Governors Association and other organizations representing cities and states expressed concern that the Federal Emergency Management Agency may eliminate personal protective equipment and disinfectants as eligible reimbursable expenses under public assistance for COVID-19, citing recent communications from the agency.