News

The American Medical Association’s annual review of U.S. health insurance markets indicates an erosion of competition and choice for many patients, particularly in markets where it is most scarce.

Medicaid enrollment for fiscal year 2021 is expected to jump 8.2%, with state spending to accelerate by 8.4%, according to data from 42 state Medicaid directors and compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Federal Reserve will host a webinar Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. ET to help borrowers learn about the Main Street Lending Program and provide an opportunity for borrowers to get answers to specific questions on the program and its operations. Questions are to be submitted in advance to questions@askthefed.org by Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. ET. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it has expanded the list of telehealth services that Medicare will pay for during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Hospital and health system trustees are promoting value in their communities by tackling societal factors that influence the health and well-being of residents.

The AHA, the American Medical Association and American Nurses Association urged President Trump to rescind Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping, arguing that failing to do so “would effectively reverse decades of progress in combating racial inequality.”

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense awarded $481 million to Cue Health Inc. to expand production of a point-of-care COVID-19 molecular test with capabilities to produce results in 20 minutes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added vaccine information to its COVID-19 webpage.

The National Institutes of Health Oct. 13 announced a study designed to identify promising COVID-19 therapies and investigational drugs that merit larger clinical trials.

The Food and Drug Administration Oct. 13 issued and immediately implemented enforcement policy for modifications to FDA-cleared molecular influenza and RSV tests during the COVID-19 public health emergency to expand access to certain FDA-cleared molecular tests for detecting and identifying flu viruses and respiratory syncytial viruses.

The NFL Players Association and AHA teamed up on a PSA to encourage individuals to wear masks to protect against COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. ET will host a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity webinar on improving clinicians’ understanding the relationship between COVID-19 and the concerns of people who use drugs or who have a substance use disorder.

The AHA released a public service announcement urging the American public not to delay getting the preventive, scheduled and emergency services they need, and noting that hospitals and health systems are always there, ready to care. The PSA, available in English and Spanish, can be adapted by AHA members with their organization’s logo for their use.

The Food and Drug Administration Oct. 12 issued an emergency use authorization for Abbott Laboratories’ AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgM (Immunoglobulin M) lab-based serology test.

A new poll by Gallup is showing sharp declines in Americans’ willingness to be vaccinated for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Drug maker Johnson & Johnson Oct. 12 announced the pause of its large-scale, pivotal, multi-country phase 3 trial for its JNJ-78436735 COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The Department of Health and Human Services Oct. 9 published an FAQ saying that providers cannot use COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund distributions to repay payments made under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Accelerated and Advance Payment programs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Oct. 9 announced a crackdown on labs that are testing for COVID-19 without proper Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certification.

The Department of Health and Human Services Oct. 9 released the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB), 2020-2025, mapping the next five years of coordinated, strategic federal actions to address antibiotic resistance.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation Oct. 10 announced the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, a $25 million, public-private partnership to expedite progress and strategically advance solutions to Lyme and other tickborne diseases.