COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Homecare
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 19, 2022)—A fourth dose of mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 boosts effectiveness to more than 80% in adults over age 50, according to a new study shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
NAPA, Calif. (July 7, 2022)—In “Truth, Lies & Alzheimer's—Its Secret Faces,” behavioral specialist Lisa Skinner and co-author Douglas Collins devote two entire chapters on how the COVID-19 pandemic isolation triggered faster declines in cognitive health due to loneliness and not being connected.
Nearly 18 months after getting COVID-19 and spending weeks in the hospital, Terry Bell struggles with hanging up his shirts and pants after doing the laundry.
Lifting his clothes, raising his arms, arranging items in his closet leave Bell short of breath and often trigger severe fatigue. He walks with a cane, only short distances. He’s 50 pounds lighter than when the virus struck.
WATERLOO, Iowa (May 12, 2022)—VGM & Associates routinely monitors environmental factors that impact home medical equipment (HME) providers and their ability to effectively provide their products and services to patients who need and rely on them.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 24, 2022)—In a letter urging Congressional leaders to stave off a financial calamity that could harm older adults, Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, called for the continuation of the Medicare “sequestration holiday”—as well as continued and expanded Provider Relief Funds (PRF) to support aging services providers hard hit by continued COVID-19-related expenses.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2022)—The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to request an extension of the public health emergency (PHE) declaration, which is set to expire in a few weeks, so that long-term and post-acute care providers can continue to offer the most efficient and effective care possible to the nation’s most vulnerable population.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 3, 2022)—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.
WASHINTON, D.C. (December 21, 2021)—A federal appeals court has reinstated the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccination or testing policy for large private businesses, reversing an earlier court ruling that had halted the mandate.
NEW ORLEANS, La. (December 15, 2021)—The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has revived the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care facilities, including home health agencies, in 26 states.
Updated Dec. 1, 2021, at 3:22 p.m. to include statement from NAHC.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (November 30, 2021)—A judge has blocked enforcement of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers in 10 rural states pending a trial over whether the federal government exceeded its authority in issuing the nationwide requirement.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 27, 2021)—Today, Congressman Jamie Raskin (Maryland) introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing the significant contributions that respiratory therapists have made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (October 12, 2021)—Addus HomeCare, a provider of comprehensive homecare and support services, has joined the National Minority Health Association (NMHA) in support of the Flex for Checks program that aims to increase COVID-19 vaccinations among those living in medically underserved communities.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 7, 2021)—The American Assocation for Homecare (AAHomecare) shared that it had received confirmation from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the agency that manages the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), that durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers are eligible for General Distribution Phase 3 and Phase 4 funding.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 5, 2021)—An audit of eight home health agencies (HHAs) by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that most had infection control policies and procedures that met the standards set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and followed CMS COVID-19 guidance to safeguard Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report issued last week.
