Tag: Health and Human Services

WASHNGTON - Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has renewed the COVID-19 national public health emergency.The renewal is effective Oct. 23 for another 90 days. The PHE has been in place since Jan. 27.Several relief efforts related to HME are tied to the duration of the PHE, including:50/50 blended reimbursement rates for rural areas;75/25 blended reimbursement rates for non-rural, non-bid areas; andthe elimination of the coverage criteria and face-to-face requirements...

WASHINGTON - The Department of Health and Human Services has announced additional funding for health care providers through the Provider Relief Fund. Providers that already received their relief of 2% of net patient revenue through the $50 billion Phase 1 and 2 of General Distribution are again eligible for the new $20 billion Phase 3 of General Distribution, AAHomecare reports. Additionally, providers that started servicing patients in 2020 that were previously ineligible for the General Distribution...

WASHINGTON - The Senate, in a bipartisan 78-17 vote, has confirmed Sylvia Mathews Burwell to replace Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to news reports. Burwell has been the director of the Office of Management and Budget since April 2013. Prior to that, she was president of the Walmart Foundation and president of the Global Development Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to reports. Though responsible for 11 agencies...