COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, August 3, 2020

Congress

A deal on the next COVID-19 relief bill has not been reached but both sides report progress is being made. Negotiations between Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the White House continued over the weekend. According to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is representing the White House in the negotiations along with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, negotiations will occur every day until a deal is reached.

White House and Federal Agencies

This evening, President Trump signed an Executive Order on improving rural health and expanding telehealth access.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is extending the application deadline for many of its Provider Relief Fund distributions.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing new procedure codes to allow Medicare and other insurers to identify the use of the therapeutics remdesivir and convalescent plasma for treating hospital inpatients with COVID-19. These new codes, which go into effect Aug. 1, will enable CMS to conduct real-time surveillance and obtain real-world evidence in how these drugs are working, as well as provide critical information on their effectiveness and how they can protect patients.

CMS is set to begin recouping advanced and accelerated Medicare payments made to providers.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its FAQ for patients and consumers about COVID-19 Antibody (Serology) Testing. The FAQs cover the basics of antibody tests, understanding test results, practical information and additional resources.

The FDA also approved a new antibody test that can measure the specific level of antibodies that are present. Previous antibody tests simply measured if antibodies were present or not present.

The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a new toolkit that highlights how the OIG handled previous emergencies to help healthcare providers respond to the pandemic.

• The OIG also updated its COVID-19 portal.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its information on Rural Communities. The webpage includes information on how rural communities can respond during COVID-19 and why rural communities may be at higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CDC updated information on Preparedness Tools for Healthcare Professionals and Facilities Responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19). The page includes information on hurricane planning resources, planning for surges, framework for non-COVID-19 care and other guidance.

CDC updated and added a number of new resources on Contact Tracing. The new documents include:

• Contact Tracing Steps Infographic
• 3 Steps to Take While Waiting for Your COVID-19 Test Results
• Contact Tracing Communications Toolkit – Spanish; English Version
• CDC-funded Training for the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Workforce
• Contact Tracing Using Digital Tools
• Overview of Contact Tracing: A brief summary of contact tracing and what to expect
• Guidelines for the Implementation and Use of Digital Tools to Augment Traditional Contact Tracing

CDC updated its information on Deciding to Go Out. The information includes what people need to know, understanding the potential risks, close contact increases risk, what makes activities safer, considering the risks before going, and being prepared to stay safe. CDC also updated information on Errands and Going Out and Running Essential Errands.

CDC updated its information on Preventing Yourself and Others from Getting Sick.

Reopening, Vaccines and Treatments

The White House is planning a campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccination in anticipation of a vaccine being approved before the end of the year.

Sanofi and GSK received $2.1 billion from the White House Operation Warp Speed initiative for 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine that is still under development.

A panel of experts in the UK believe it is still too early to assert the efficacy of remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment. They believe more robust studies are needed for us to better understand its efficacy as a treatment.

Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Admiral Brett Giroir MD, believes enough studies have been conducted to show that hydroxychloroquine is not an effective treatment for COVID-19.

• FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in an interview on NBC’s Today Show, that a decision to treat COVID-19 with hydroxychloroquine should be up to patients and providers.

FDA Commissioner Hahn said that the FDA will approve COVID-19 vaccines that are safe and at least 50 percent effective.

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