FCC announces new Covid-19 TeleHealth Program Awards totaling nearly 42 Million Dollars to Health Care Providers in every State and Territory

Federal Communications Commission announces new Covid-19 TeleHealth Program Awards totaling nearly $42 Million to Health Care Providers in every State and Territory | site |


(Information contained in Federal Communications Commission [FCC] press release dated: August 26, 2021)

Washington, August 26, 2021 - - The Federal Communications Commission today approved an initial set of 62 applications for funding commitments totaling $41.98 million for Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Health care providers in each state, territory, and the District of Columbia, including those previously unfunded in Round 1, will use this funding to provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic. The FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program supports the efforts of health care providers to continue serving their patients by providing reimbursement for telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth...

U.S. Education Dept says New Guidance Reaffirms Importance of Full Implementation of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic | site |



U.S. Department of Education says Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic or the mode of instruction, children with disabilities are entitled to receive a free, appropriate, public education


(Information contained in U.S. Department of Education press release dated: August 24, 2021)

Today, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) sent a letter to its state and local partners reiterating its commitment to ensuring children with disabilities and their families have successful early intervention and educational experiences in the 2021-2022 school year. This letter outlines a series of question and answers (Q&As) as children and students return to in-person learning. The Q&As focus on topics to help ens...

Federal Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 Funeral Assistance State-by-State Breakdown | site |



(Information contained in Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] press release dated: August 23, 2021)

Washington - - FEMA has provided over $1.044 billion to nearly 159,000 people to assist with COVID-19-related funeral costs for deaths occurring on or after Jan. 20, 2020.

Eligibility determinations are not driven by state/location; instead, they are based on when the applicant submits all required documentation.

“Applications” in the below chart reflect the number of individuals who called to begin the assistance process.

Please find state-specific information below:


...

Joint Statement from HHS Public Health and Medical Experts on COVID-19 Booster Shots | site |




(Information contained in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release dated: August 18, 2021)

"Today, public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the following statement on the Administration’s plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people." The statement is attributable to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); Dr. Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health; Dr....

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs expands Mandate for COVID-19 Vaccines among VHA Employees | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] press release dated: August 12, 2021) Washington - - Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will expand his previous COVID-19 vaccine mandate Friday, Aug. 13, to apply to most Veterans Health Administration employees and volunteers and contractors who work in VHA facilities, visit VHA facilities or otherwise come into contact with VA patients and healthcare workers as part of their duties. Under the expanded mandate, employees who will need to be vaccinated include Hybrid Title 38 and Title 5 VA health care personnel — such as psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, nursing assistants, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, peer specialists, medical support assistants, engineers, housekeepers and other clinical, administrative and infr...

Federal Emergency Management Agency's COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Tops $1 Billion
| site |



Applications for Funeral Assistance Remain Open to People in Need


(Information contained in Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] press release dated: August 13, 2021)

Washington - - FEMA announced today it has provided over $1 billion in COVID-19 funeral assistance to support more than 150,000 applicants grappling with the financial stress and burden caused by the pandemic. Earlier this year, the agency began providing financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses. FEMA continues to accept applications to support underserved communities and encourages more to apply. “This pandemic has had an immense impact on our country,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Too many people have lost family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors to COVID-19. FEMA's Funeral + + censored term replaced + ++ + censored term replaced + ++ + censored term replaced + +...

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Data Shows Vulnerable Americans Forgoing Mental Health Care During COVID-19 Pandemic | site |



(Information contained in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services press release dated: May 14, 2021)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released data today highlighting the continued impact the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is having on Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries and utilization of health services. The data show that, from March through October 2020, beneficiaries have foregone millions of primary, preventive, and mental health care visits due to the COVID-19 PHE, compared to the same time period in 2019. Although utilization rates for some treatments have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, mental health services show the slowest rebound. This decline in utilization is occurring at a time when preliminary evidence shows menta...

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Announces $1.69 Billion for Amtrak in Response to COVID-19 | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration press release dated: April 27, 2021) Washington - - U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg today announced that the Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is making more than $1.69 billion available to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to provide relief from the impacts of COVID-19 to the company’s business operations, workforce, and state funding partners. The funding is provided under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. “Help is here. The President’s American Rescue Plan is already delivering for workers and the traveling public,” said Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This new assistance for Amtrak will get employees back to work and restore service on routes across the country, at a time ...

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Awards $40 Million in American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Emergency Home Visiting Assistance for Families Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS] press release dated: May 11, 2021) Today, in recognition of National Women’s Health Week, and thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded approximately $40 million in emergency home visiting funds to states, territories, and the District of Columbia to support children and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program supports the delivery of coordinated and comprehensive, high quality, voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services to children and families living in communities at risk for...

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs releases Report detailing Efforts to address COVID-19 Pandemic | site |


(Information contained in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] press release dated: May 11, 2021) Washington - - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a second installment report identifying the department’s strategic response from July 1, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021, to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are a continuation of VA’s pledge to share best practices and lessons learned with other government agencies and the private health care system while the country continues to fight COVID-19. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Response Report Annex A concludes that overall, VA has aligned responsibilities, communicated with stakeholders and employed an operational concept that produced an effective response in support of Veterans and communities around the country. “We created this document so medical professionals can learn from our eff...

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Increases Medicare Payment for COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Infusions | site |


New payment policy for at-home administration


(Information contained in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services press release dated: May 6, 2021) As part of the ongoing response to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has increased the Medicare payment rate for administering monoclonal antibodies to treat beneficiaries with COVID-19, continuing coverage under the Medicare Part B COVID-19 vaccine benefit. Beneficiaries pay nothing out of pocket, regardless of where the service is furnished – including in a physician’s office, healthcare facility or at home. Effective today, the national average payment rate will increase from $310 to $450 for most health care settings. In support of providers’ efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, CMS will also establish...

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Revokes Emergency Use Authorization for Monoclonal Antibody Bamlanivimab | site |



FDA says "Alternative monoclonal antibody therapies authorized to treat patients with COVID-19 remain available"


(Information contained in U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] press release dated: April 16, 2021)

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) that allowed for the investigational monoclonal antibody therapy bamlanivimab, when administered alone, to be used for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and certain pediatric patients. Based on its ongoing analysis of emerging scientific data, specifically the sustained increase of SARS-CoV-2 viral variants that are resistant to bamlanivimab alone resulting in the increased risk for treatment failure, the FDA has determined that the known and potential...

U.S. Department of Education Releases "COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs" | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Department Education press release dated: April 9, 2021)

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) released the COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs to provide additional strategies for safely reopening all of America's schools and to promote educational equity by addressing opportunity gaps that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Building off of Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools, which focused on health and safety measures that schools can use to successfully implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) K-12 Operational Strategy, Volume 2 of the Handbook focuses on research-based strategies to address the social, emotional,...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Awards $3 Billion to Expand COVID-19 Vaccine Programs | site |



CDC says Funding can be used for innovative partnerships with community-based organizations to increase vaccine uptake, including in underserved populations


(Information contained in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention press release dated: April 6, 2021)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded funding to support local efforts to increase vaccine uptake by expanding COVID-19 vaccine programs and ensuring greater equity and access to vaccine by those disproportionately affected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The awards are part of $3 billion in funding that CDC has granted to 64 jurisdictions to bolster broad-based vaccine distribution, access, and administration efforts. The funding was made available by the American Rescue Plan and the Coronavirus Response an...

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA takes Steps to Streamline Path for COVID-19 screening tools, provides Information to Help Groups establishing Testing Programs | site |



(Information contained in U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] press release dated: March 16, 2021)

The following is attributed to Jeff Shuren, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, and Tim Stenzel, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health

March 16, 2021

Statement From:

Director - CDRH Offices: Office of the Center Director
Dr. Jeffrey E. Shuren MD, JD Testing remains an important cornerstone of our nation’s fight against COVID-19. This includes schools, workplaces, communities and other locations using testing to screen asymptomatic individuals who may still spread the virus. Screening involves testing asymptomati...