- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are maintaining resources on COVID-19 on their COVID-19 Partner Resources Page and the HHS COVID Education Campaign page.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also updated a large group of their COVID-19 guidelines.
- The Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine only requires one dose and can be stored more easily than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. It reportedly is 66% (72% in the U.S.) effective in preventing moderate cases of COVID-19 and 85% effective against severe cases; the J&J vaccine was 100% effective in preventing hospitalization and death.
Congress
- This afternoon, ten Republican Senators met with President Biden to discuss their $618 billion COVID-19 stimulus bill proposal. This bill would be an alternative to the $1.9 trillion bill proposed by President Biden. Democrats are planning to advance most of the Biden proposal using a legislative process called Budget Reconciliation, which will not require any Republican support if all Democrats plus Vice President Harris vote for the bill.
- On Thursday, February 4 (10:00 am ET), the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on the need for new COVID-19 stimulus legislation.
- On Thursday, February 4 (10:00 am ET), the House Small Businesses Committee will hold a hearing on the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses.
- On Thursday, February 4 (11:05 am ET), the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on public transportation and COVID-19.
White House and Federal Agencies
- The White House Coronavirus Taskforce is asking providers not to withhold vaccine doses to ensure patients have access to a second dose.
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are maintaining resources on COVID-19 on their COVID-19 Partner Resources Page and the HHS COVID Education Campaign page. These resources include:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Resources for Health Care Providers Page.
- COVID-19 Provider Toolkit.
- How health care providers can enroll in Medicare to bill for administering COVID-19 vaccines
- The COVID-19 vaccine Medicare coding structure;
- The Medicare payment strategy for COVID-19 vaccine administration;
- How health care providers can bill correctly for administering vaccines, including roster and centralized billing;
- Monoclonal antibody infusion for treating COVID-19; and
- New COVID-19 Treatments Add-on Payment (NCTAP).
- Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine, so there will be no cost to your patients with Medicare. Medicare will reimburse you for administering the vaccine.
- State governments are handling the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Look for updates from your state and local officials as more doses of the vaccine become available for additional priority groups.
- People without health insurance or whose insurance does not provide coverage of the vaccine can also get COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. Providers administering the vaccine to people without health insurance or whose insurance does not provide coverage of the vaccine can request reimbursement for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine through the Provider Relief Fund.
- Encourage patients to get the vaccine when it is available to them.
- Let patients know they can receive the vaccine at no cost and will help keep them from getting COVID-19. Learn more about the benefits of the vaccine.
- Let patients know the vaccine is safe and that safety is a top priority for COVID-19 vaccines.
- Remind patients to continue practicing the 3Ws (Wear a Mask, Watch your distance, Wash your hands).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
- CDC Data shows racial disparities among who have received COVID-19 vaccines.
- CDC updated its webpage for:
- Workplaces and Businesses.
- COVID-19 Graphics and Buttons.
- Operating schools during COVID-19: CDC’s Considerations.
- Community, Work, and School.
- U.S. COVID-19 Cases Caused by Variants.
- Wear Face Masks on Public Transportation Conveyances and at Transportation Hubs
- Protect Yourself When Using Transportation.
- COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Country.
- How to Select, Wear, and Clean Your Mask.
- How to Protect Yourself & Others.
- Federal Register Notice: Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19.
Economy, Vaccines, Testing and Treatment
- Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) vaccine is 66% effective globally, and 72% in the U.S. in preventing moderate cases of COVID-19 and 85 percent effective against severe cases. Though less effective than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines (both exceed 90 percent efficacy), the J&J vaccine was 100 percent effective in preventing hospitalization and death.
- The J&J vaccine only requires one dose and can be stored more easily than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
- This article explains the challenges of increasing vaccine manufacturing capacity.
- This article explains why some people can still get infected
- Federal Emergency Management Institute (FEMA) asked the Department of Defense to prepare to mobilize as many as 10,000 National Guard troops to support federal vaccination sites.
- The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that new COVID-19 strains could make the pandemic worse. Some of the strains are more contagious and more resistant to the vaccines.
- The CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will jointly study the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against new strains of the virus.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is creating a streamlined process to approve updated vaccines adapted to protect against new strains of the virus.
- Pending FDA approval of its vaccine, Novavax is preparing to produce 150 million doses per month by May.
- Common over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief medications such as Advil and Tylenol are appropriate for relieving soreness from COVID-19 vaccines.
- The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts the U.S. economy will recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2021.
