COVID-19

The Biden Administration sent a letter to the nation's Governors renewing the Public Health Emergency (PHE) regarding COVID-19, declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act. The current public health emergency was renewed effective January 21, 2021, and will be in effect for 90 days. The announcement indicates that the PHE will likely remain in place for the entirety of 2021 and also commits to providing at least a 60 day notice before the end of the PHE.

This brief summarizes the available data and literature on the cross-national impact of COVID-19 in LTC settings as of October 2020 and the changes in reported death rates since June 2020. This brief was prepared through intramural research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy.

When COVID-19 appeared in early 2020, human services agencies across the country had to adapt overnight. The Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Aging Services created new partnerships with restaurants, placed emergency funds into use quickly, streamlined decision-making and more to meet the needs of seniors.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is ready to provide you with the information you need to PROTECT yourself from Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse; DETECT potential fraud, errors, and abuse; and REPORT your concerns. SMPs help educate and empower Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against health care fraud. Your SMP can help you with your questions, concerns, or complaints about potential fraud and abuse issues. It also provides information and educational presentations.

CMS released an update to the COVID-19 Vaccines Toolkit that was released on 10/28/20 and first updated on 11/23/20. This update includes more information on vaccine administration reimbursement and outlines a streamlined review process available to states looking to quickly adjust vaccine administration reimbursement rates in state plans. The toolkit also provides more clarification on managed care network adequacy and the phased distribution and administration approved COVID-19 vaccines.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is approving Nebraska’s fourth submission to amend the following 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers with the Emergency Preparedness and Response Appendix K in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendments that the state has requested in the Appendix Ks are additive to those previously approved and are effective from March 6, 2020 through March 5, 2021.

The Aging and Adult Services Agency at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has announced the launch of CV19 CheckUp in Michigan, a free, anonymous, personalized online tool that evaluates someone’s risks associated with COVID-19. BellAge developed the tool to help people be safer & healthier, and ensure their individual needs are met during the pandemic. CV19 CheckUp uses artificial intelligence to analyze data each person provides by completing an online questionnaire.

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Advisory Council has released a new resource guide for grandfamilies during emergencies. There are an estimated 2.7 million children living in grand family or kinship households in the U.S. today. This guide includes key information related to health care, social services, staying connected, and important helplines, among others.

FAIR Health recently published a study that highlights the relationship between preexisting comorbidities of COVID-19 and mortality in privately insured patients. The study describes those most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes, which helps to inform prevention, treatment and possible protocols for vaccine distribution prioritization, once developed. This study builds on FAIR Health’s series of five COVID-19 briefs that have highlighted the widespread economic impact of the pandemic.

NGA recently published a policy memo including a detailed table that provides an overview of state actions to address COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. The table includes notable actions from states with helpful links to relevant guidance and resources for each state. Updates on additional state actions and examples will be added to the table regularly and states are encouraged to contact NGA with changes.