Beginning with the Health Center COVID-19 Survey issued on Feb. 24, HRSA will add new options for questions 7b and 8b. These questions ask where health centers distributed N95 masks and test kits received through HRSA’s COVID-19 Response Programs. Here are the new options:

• Provided to migratory/seasonal agricultural workers directly or through partnerships with community organizations serving these individuals
• Provided to individuals with limited English proficiency directly or through partnerships with community organizations serving these individuals
• Provided to older adults and/or individuals with disabilities directly or through partnerships with community organizations serving these individuals
• Provided to school-age children and/or their families directly or through partnerships with schools

Provided to individuals living in HUD-assisted housing and/or individuals experiencing homelessness directly or through partnerships with local housing authorities

 

A large-scale scientific study of U.S. veterans found that coronavirus patients were at “substantial” risk of heart disease one year after their illness, increasing the odds of clots, arrhythmias, heart failure and related conditions. Read more.

New research bolsters evidence from small case reports and confirms that placenta damage rather than an infection of the fetus is the likely cause of many COVID-19-related stillbirths. Researchers in 12 countries, including the U.S., analyzed placental and autopsy tissue from stillbirths and newborns who died shortly after birth. The cases all involved unvaccinated women who had COVID-19 during their pregnancy. Researchers found that placentas were infected and extensively destroyed. Read more.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) wants to increase Pennsylvanians’ access to COVID-19 testing and enhance residents’ ability to live, work, and play safely. As part of this, DOH is distributing rapid over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits to vulnerable communities, providing free testing resources to those most in need.

• Distribution will be happening in waves over the coming weeks
• This wave of public distribution began Monday 2/14 in the following 16 counties: Berks, Cambria, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Fayette, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin, Northumberland, Schuylkill
• State Health Centers are serving as the distribution sites in 15 of the 16 counties (Lackawanna alternate site: Community Intervention Center)
• See communication below for further test pickup information
• Distribution information beyond next week will be communicated by Friday 2/18

Test information:

• Tests have received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA
• Tests are approved for at-home use and do not require a medical provider to oversee use
• Tests are approved for individuals two and older; tests can be self-collected by an individual aged 14 years and older, children aged 2-13 years should be tested by an adult
• Tests provide results in about 15 minutes

Pickup information:

• Test kits are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis at the pickup sites & times below. No appointment is necessary
• Tests are free to all individuals
• Individuals are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to pick up a test kit
• Individuals are limited to picking up a maximum of 4 tests to ensure equitable distribution across the Commonwealth

Test pickup schedule:

Berks County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Berks County State Health Center (625 Cherry St., Room 401, Reading, PA, 19602) at the following times:

• Friday Feb 18: 9 am-11 am, 1 pm-3 pm

Cambria County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Cambria County State Health Center (184 Donald Lane, Suite 1, Johnstown, PA, 15904) at the following times:

• Thursday Feb 17: 10 am-12 pm, 1:30 pm-3 pm
• Friday Feb 18: 10 am-12 pm, 1:30 pm-3 pm

Clarion County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Clarion County State Health Center (Applewood Center, Suite D, 162 S. 2^nd St., Clarion, PA, 16214) at the following times:

• Thursday Feb 17: 9:30 am-11:30 am, 1:30 pm-2:30 pm

Clearfield County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Clearfield County State Health Center (1123 Linden St., Clearfield, PA, 16830) at the following times

• Wednesday Feb 16: 10 am-1 pm
• Thursday Feb 17: 10 am-1 pm

Clinton County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Clinton County State Health Center (215 E. Church St., Lock Haven, PA, 17745) at the following times:

• Thursday Feb 17: 8:30 am-3:45 pm
• Friday Feb 18: 8:30 am-3:45 pm

Crawford County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Crawford County State Health Center (Parkside Commons, Suite 101, 847 N. Main St., Meadville, PA 16335) at the following times:

• Thursday Feb 17: 9:30 am-11:30 am, 1:30 pm-2:30 pm

Fayette County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Fayette County State Health Center (100 New Salem Road, Suite 102, Uniontown, PA, 15401) at the following times:

• Wednesday Feb 16: 10 am-12 pm, 1:30 pm-3 pm
• Thursday Feb 17: 10 am-12 pm, 1:30 pm-3 pm

Indiana County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Indiana County State Health Center (75 N. 2^nd St., Indiana, PA, 15701) at the following times:

• Wednesday Feb 16: 10 am-12 pm, 1:30 pm-3 pm
• Friday Feb 18 :10 am-12 pm, 1:30 pm-3 pm

Lackawanna County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Community Intervention Center (445 N 6^th Ave., Scranton, PA, 18503)  at the following times:

• Wednesday Feb 16: 8 am-2 pm
• Thursday Feb 17: 8 am-2 pm

Lawrence County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Lawrence County State Health Center (106 Margaret St., New Castle, PA, 16101) at the following days:

• Wednesday Feb 16: 9:30 am-11:30 am, 1:30 pm-2:30 pm

Lebanon County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Lebanon County State Health Center (9 N. 9^th St., Lebanon, PA, 17046) at the following times:

• Thursday Feb 17: 9 am-1 pm

Lycoming County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Lycoming County State Health Center (1000 Commerce Park Drive, Suite 109, Williamsport, PA, 17701) at the following times:

• Thursday Feb 17: 8:30 am-4:15 pm

McKean County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the McKean County State Health Center (84-90 Boylston St., Gleason Building, Bradford, PA, 16701) at the following times:

• Thursday Feb 17: 9:30 am-11:30 am, 1:30 pm-2:30 pm

Mifflin County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Mifflin County State Health Center (21 S. Brown St., Suite 2A, Lewistown, PA, 17044) at the following times:

• Wednesday Feb 16: 9 am-11 am

• Thursday Feb 17: 1 pm-3 pm

Northumberland County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Northumberland County State Health Center (247 Pennsylvania Ave., Sunbury, PA, 17801) at the following times:

• Wednesday Feb 16: 9 am-12 pm, 2 pm-4 pm
• Thursday Feb 17: 9 am-12 pm, 2 pm-4 pm

Schuylkill County

Test kits will be available for pick up at the Schuylkill County State Health Center (One Norwegian Plaza, Suite 103, Pottsville, PA, 17901) at the following times:

• Wednesday Feb 16: 1 pm-4 pm

Study finds lockdowns only reduced mortality by 0.2%. Researchers – Johns Hopkins University economics professor Steve Hanke, Lund University economics professor Lars Jonung, and special advisor at Copenhagen’s Center for Political Studies Jonas Herby – analyzed the effects of lockdown measures such as school shutdowns, business closures, and mask mandates on COVID-19 deaths. “We find little to no evidence that mandated lockdowns in Europe and the United States had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality rates,” the researchers wrote. The researchers also examined shelter-in-place orders, finding that they reduced COVID-19 mortality by 2.9%. Read more.

States expect the current federal public health emergency to expire this year, triggering a requirement that they must comb through their Medicaid rolls to see who is no longer eligible. With redeterminations for current Medicaid eligible placed on hold, Pennsylvania stands to see more than 400,000 lose coverage. Consumers typically lose coverage because their income increases, or they fail to submit the proper paperwork to prove eligibility. The PA Department of Human Services and the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange, Pennie, have been working to identify those consumers who may lose Medicaid coverage and provide them with information on the availability of financial help if the enroll in Pennie. Read more.

CMS Developing Initiative to Enable Access to Eight Free Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests for Medicare Beneficiaries in Early Spring

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to expand Americans’ access to free testing, people in either Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage will be able to get over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost starting in early spring. Under the new initiative, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to access up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month for free. Tests will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities. This policy will apply to COVID-19 over-the-counter tests approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This is the first time that Medicare has covered an over-the-counter test at no cost to beneficiaries. There are a number of issues that have made it difficult to cover and pay for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. However, given the importance of expanding access to testing, CMS has identified a pathway that will expand access to free over-the-counter testing for Medicare beneficiaries. This new initiative will enable payment from Medicare directly to participating pharmacies and other participating entities to allow Medicare beneficiaries to pick up tests at no cost. CMS anticipates that this option will be available to people with Medicare in the early spring.

Until then, people with Medicare can access free tests through a number of channels established by the Biden-Harris Administration. Medicare beneficiaries can:

• Request four free over-the-counter tests for home delivery at covidtests.gov.
• Access COVID-19 tests through healthcare providers at over 20,000 free testing sites nationwide. A list of community-based testing sites can be found here.
• Access lab-based PCR tests and antigen tests performed by a laboratory when the test is ordered by a physician, non-physician practitioner, pharmacist, or other authorized health care professional at no cost. In addition to accessing a COVID-19 lab test ordered by a health care professional, people with Medicare can also already access one lab-performed test without an order, also without cost sharing, during the public health emergency.

In addition:

• Medicare Advantage plans may offer coverage and payment for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests as a supplemental benefit in addition to covering Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, so Medicare beneficiaries covered by Medicare Advantage should check with their plan to see if it includes such a benefit.
• All Medicare beneficiaries with Part B are eligible for the new benefit, whether enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or not.

For more information, please see these Frequently Asked Questions, https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-19-over-counter-otc-tests-medicare-frequently-asked-questions.pdf.