COVID-19 Federal Responses: Wednesday, May 20, 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published detailed guidelines for how to reopen businesses and schools. (See Appendix F for specific advic…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, May 18, 2020
The biotech firm, Moderna, announced positive results of its early COVID-19 vaccine human clinical trials. The results indicate that all recipients of the vacc…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Friday, May 15, 2020
The House of Representatives is voting on H.R. 6800, the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief bill introduced by House Democrats, although there are some …
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Wednesday, May 13, 2020
The House still intends to vote on the $3 trillion relief bill it introduced yesterday, the HEROES Act, as soon as Friday. The bill is expected to pass w…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Tuesday, May 12, 2020
House Democrats released a new COVID-19 relief bill (and summary). The bill includes about $3 trillion in new relief measures.About one-third of the funding wo…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, May 11, 2020
Over the weekend, two White House staff members tested positive for COVID-19. President Trump and Vice President Pence have since begun receiving daily testing…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Friday, May 8, 2020
Dr. Deborah Birx will coordinate the federal government’s distribution of Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir treatment for COVID-19. Remdesivir showed pro…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, May 7, 2020
Among the various ideas under consideration for additional legislative relief measures, Congress is considering lifting the budget caps for fiscal year 2021. C…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Wednesday, May 6, 2020
President Trump stated the White House Coronavirus Task Force will continue its work. However, the Task Force will shift from focusing on the medical response …
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Tuesday, May 5, 2020
House Democrats are preparing to introduce a new relief bill by the end of the week. Without Republican support, however, the bill has no chance of advancing b…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, May 4, 2020
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began distributing Provider Relief Fund payments to hospitals in high impact areas and to hospitals and provi…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Friday, May 1, 2020
As the Senate prepares to return to the Capitol on Monday (and as the House prepares to return later in May), leadership of both parties are beginning to dig i…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, April 30, 2020
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a list of new regulatory flexibilities. These blanket waivers apply to all Medicare and Medicaid…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a letter to clinicians explaining how they can receive credit toward the MIPS Clinical Practice …
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, April 27, 2020
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is suspending advance and accelerated payments to Medicare providers that it offered at the b…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Friday, April 24, 2020
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updated its Provider Relief Fund website in a way that better organizes the information and includes updated …
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, April 23, 2020
On the evening of April 23, the House passed bipartisan legislation that provides an additional $320 billion in funding to the Small Business Administration (S…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Wednesday, April 22, 2020
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updated its provider relief webpage to explain how it will distribute the remaining $70 billion it received u…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Tuesday, April 21, 2020
The Senate passed and the House will vote Thursday on a $484 billion relief package. This “Phase 3.5” bill is not nearly as large as the $2.2 trill…
COVID-19 Federal Responses: Monday, April 20, 2020
Congress is nearing a deal on legislation to provide additional funding for some of the initiatives passed in the CARES Act. Reports are beginning to emerge ab…