The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Assistant Secretary for Health, issued guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to expand access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when they are made available. This guidance authorizes state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer, and state-licensed or registered pharmacy interns acting under the supervision of the qualified pharmacist to administer, COVID-19 vaccinations to persons ages 3 or older, subject to certain requirements. The authorization preempts any state and local laws that prohibit or effectively prohibit those who satisfy these requirements from ordering or administering COVID-19 vaccines as set forth above. The authorization does not preempt state and local laws that permit additional individuals to administer COVID-19 vaccines to additional persons. Access a copy of the guidance – PDF, information on Operation Warp Speed and clinical resources on vaccines, including continuing education training on best practices.

As many as 12 million people have lost access to employer-sponsored coverage because of COVID-19, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Analysts estimate that 6.4 million workers have lost access to insurance through their employer amid job losses during the pandemic. The 12 million comes from including spouses and dependents in those plans. It takes into consideration that not every worker who loses employer coverage will become uninsured. Read more.

When the COVID-19 emergency declaration eventually ends, many regulatory waivers and administrative flexibilities that consumers and health care providers have come to rely upon during this pandemic will abruptly end. This raises two significant concerns: the ability of the health care community to respond effectively to new threats will be diminished and consumers will have become accustomed to and expect these flexibilities–especially relating to telehealth–to continue. Rep. Christopher Quinn (R-Delaware) introduced HB 2779 to a set a clear timeline for the termination of waivers and administrative flexibilities afforded to health care providers and practitioners for one year after the end of the COVID-19 emergency declaration.

The week of September 8, 2020, the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) produced a summary on the impact of federal funds provided to hospitals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, MedPAC reported that the negative impact on hospital operating profits was significantly less than the American Hospital Association (AHA) estimated. According to Healthcare Dive, “[AHA] estimated the pandemic would reduce U.S. hospital operating profits by almost $51 billion in April, the month with the sharpest decline in patient volume. But MedPAC researchers estimate hospitals only lost about half that: between $20 billion and $30 billion that month.” Additionally, they note that while some facilities reported an extraordinarily high income because of increased federal aid, many cash-strapped rural facilities are continuing to plead for aid as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in rural America.

For the second week in a row, the rates of COVID-19 infections in rural and urban areas are trending in opposite directions. According to the Daily Yonder, “The proportion of new cases generated in rural counties continued to increase as the number of new cases in metropolitan counties fell for the sixth straight week.” This disturbing trend is placing a strain on patients and providers in rural areas, and as Alan Morgan, NRHA CEO, noted in May 2020, “Unfortunately, we are now entering a phase where rural America is going to be front and center of these discussions as we go forward. The challenge is: we are moving into an area where those most in need of health care services and those that are most at risk of COVID-19 are going to be in these small towns where they have limited access to health care.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his Republican colleagues introduced a new COVID-19 relief package. This package was even more narrow than previous GOP proposals. Notably, this package included very few health care provisions and no additional funding for the Provider Relief Fund. Leader McConnell filed cloture on this bill. The vote, which required a 60-vote threshold for passage, failed on a nearly party-line vote 52-47, with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) being the only Republican to vote against the proposal.