How Will the Public Health Emergency’s End Affect Veterans?
Per an announcement from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the federal Public Health Emergency created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic ended in May 2023. With the end of this Public Health Emergency (PHE) comes several policy shifts that may specifically impact U.S. military veterans. The Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 […]
Millions of People Could Lose Medicaid Coverage When the Pandemic Is Declared Over
While declining COVID-19 cases are good news, the end of the pandemic could mean millions of Medicaid recipients will lose their coverage. Federal law has prevented states from terminating Medicaid benefits while the coronavirus health emergency is in place. The Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a nationwide public health emergency for COVID-19 in […]
Medicare Won’t Cover Rapid At-Home Covid Tests
Americans’ ability to quickly and easily test for Covid-19 is one of the most important tools for stopping the infection’s spread. This is why the Biden administration recently announced it is requiring private insurers to cover the cost of up to eight rapid at-home Covid tests a month purchased at retail stores and pharmacies. But […]
Nursing Homes Grapple with Whether to Force Staff to Get Vaccinated
As COVID-19 cases start to rise again due to the highly contagious Delta variant, nursing homes are considering requiring staff members to be vaccinated. Only 59 percent of nursing home staff are partially or fully vaccinated nationwide, and the percentages are much lower in some states. While 81 percent of nursing home residents are fully […]
What To Do With Your Stimulus Check if You Are in a Nursing Home
As the second round of stimulus checks goes out, it is important to know that nursing home residents are not required to turn their checks over to their nursing home. And Medicaid recipients need to spend the cash within a year if it puts them over Medicaid’s resource limit. In December 2020, Congress approved $600 […]
A Modest Raise for Nursing Home Workers Could Save 15,000 Lives a Year: Study
Ruffini found that raising the minimum wage reduced turnover and increased tenure among nursing assistants. This greater continuity of care, she says, translated into improved health and safety conditions for the patients. At the same time, nursing home profits held steady because the extra costs were passed on in the form of higher fees.
Medicare and Medicaid to Cover COVID-19 Testing
With coronavirus dominating news coverage and creating alarm, it is important to know that Medicare and Medicaid will cover tests for the virus. DHHS Announces a New Designation The Department of Health and Human Services has designated the test for the new strain of coronavirus (officially called “COVID-19”) an essential health benefit. This designation means […]
