Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted QSO-20-38-NH on announce the termination of this QSO on May 11, 2023. Effective 05/11/2023, this memo is no longer in effect. Testing for COVID-19 should be conducted by following accepted national standards, such as CDC recommendations. Noncompliance related to COVID-19 testing will be cited…… Continue reading Two (2) QSO Memorandums Posted Regarding End of PHE for NHs 

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare On May 8, 2023, the CDC provided updated IPC recommendations for HCP. This guidance applies to all U.S. settings where healthcare is delivered, including nursing homes and home health. With the end of the public health emergency on May 11, 2023, CDC will no longer receive…… Continue reading Updated Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the COVID-19 Pandemic (CDC)

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare COVID-19 is an ongoing public health problem that will be monitored with sustainable data sources to guide prevention efforts. An early release in the CDC’s May 5, 2023 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), COVID-19 Surveillance After Expiration of the Public Health Emergency Declaration ― United…… Continue reading COVID-19 Surveillance After Expiration of the Public Health Emergency Declaration ― United States, May 11, 2023

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the latest data for nursing homes for the week ending April 23, 2023. Comparing the April 23, 2023 data to the April 16, 2023 data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate decreased 0.1% this past week; Residents up to date with…… Continue reading Latest CMS, CDC and NHSN Nursing Home COVID-19 Data – WHO Statement on COVID-19 Global Emergency

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Late afternoon on May 1, 2023, the White House issued this Press Release: In 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration announced COVID-19 vaccination requirements to promote the health and safety of individuals and the efficiency of workplaces, protecting vital sectors of our economy and vulnerable populations. Since January…… Continue reading Ending COVID-⁠19 Vaccination Requirements for Federal Employees, Contractors, International Travelers, Head Start Educators and CMS-Certified Facilities

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare What you need to know: The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is to end on May 11, 2023. The ending of the Public Health Emergency may impact an individual’s coverage of COVID-19 tests. We encourage you to know these changes and share the New Consumer Fact Sheet…… Continue reading Updates to Coverage for COVID-19 Tests After PHE Ends General Consumer Information

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS posted QSO-23-13-ALLon May 1, 2023 with the same title as the blog. The Secretary’s authority in Section 1135 of the Social Security Act (the “Act”), allowed CMS to issue several temporary emergency statutory and regulatory waivers and flexibilities to help providers respond to the COVID-19…… Continue reading Guidance for the Expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare CMS has posted the nursing home COVID-19 data for the week ending April 16, 2023. Comparing the April 16, 2023 data to the April 9, 2023 data shows these changes: Resident primary vaccination completion rate remained unchanged this past week; Residents up to date with vaccines…… Continue reading Latest CMS, CDC and NHSN Nursing Home COVID-19 Data

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare Updated 04/26/2023: Based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department of Health and Human Services is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023.…… Continue reading Frequently Asked Questions: CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDPClinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare A recent study, published March 23, 2023 in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that nursing facilities who tested their staff frequently for COVID-19 had substantially fewer deaths from the disease among their vulnerable residents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of skilled nursing facilities have been…… Continue reading Frequent Testing Reduced COVID-19 Deaths in Nursing Facilities