As the FEHBlog discussed COVID-19 death rates yesterday, it’s only meet and right to post STAT’s story which seeks to put COVID-19 death projections into perspective.
On the flip side, STAT reports on Pfizer’s decision to accelerate by three months human testing on a potential treatment for COVID-19 and local WTOP news reports on COVID-19 vaccine development efforts by a company in the Maryland suburbs of D.C., Novovax. Best of luck.
Healthleaders Media discusses a Guidehouse study finding
A major factor hampering the financial situation for rural providers is the migration of patients to care options outside of the community, with over 75% of patients bypassing local hospitals to receive care elsewhere. These levels are much higher compared to the outmigration patterns of suburban and urban patients.
More than 350 rural hospitals [one in four], accounting for $8.3 billion in total patient revenue, are at the greatest financial risk of closure, according to Guidehouse. The five states most likely to be impacted by hospital closures include Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, and Kansas, according to the analysis.
Guidehouse adds that “Of these hospitals, 81%, or 287 hospitals, are considered highly essential to the health and economic well-being of their communities.” What is really troubling about this study is that it was conducted before the COVID-19 emergency which must be exacerbating these financial problems.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today issued additional guidance loosening the regulatory reins on healthcare providers so that “so that hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities can boost their frontline medical staffs” necessary to treat COVID-19 patients and others. Among other steps,
Doctors can now directly care for patients at rural hospitals, across state lines if necessary, via phone, radio, or online communication, without having to be physically present. Remotely located physicians, coordinating with nurse practitioners at rural facilities, will provide staffs at such facilities additional flexibility to meet the needs of their patients.
Similarly, the HHS Office for Civil Rights which enforces the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules promised not to impose HIPAA penalties on good faith rule violations that occur at COVID-19 testing sites.
Drug Channels offers an interesting take on the CMS actuary’s recent healthcare spending projections for the U.S. Adam Fein observes that ” The coronavirus is upending our healthcare system and putting enormous pressure on hospitals. Despite increased costs of treatment, I expect that spending [that CMS estimated before the COVID-19 emergency] will be lower than the CMS projections.”
On the technology front, the federal government’s cybersecurity authorities released a detailed alert on a variety of cyberscams that have arisen during the COVID-19 emergency.