Comments on the Calendar Year 2022 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule are now closed as of September 13. Changes to Medicare Part B payment policies as well as updates to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the Quality Payment Program (QPP) are included in the annual PFS rule. Providers broadly oppose Medicare...
COVID-19 cases and deaths have now returned to levels not seen since last winter's surge, driven by the delta variant and vaccine hesitancy in many pockets of the U.S. In Arizona, on Wednesday, September 15, there were 2,432 new cases reported and 29 new deaths reported related to COVID-19.
Dr. Marjorie Bessel, Chief Medical Officer...
On September 8, there were 2,222 new cases of COVID-19 reported and 26 new deaths. The total number of deaths in Arizona crossed the 19,000 mark earlier this week. The vaccination rate is still 56.5% of Arizonans, with 6,384 new doses distributed today. In hospitals, 9% of intensive care unit beds are available, 32% of ICU beds are...
On September 7, 2021, there were 301,138 new recorded cases of COVID-19 in the United States. There were 2,226 COVID-19-related deaths. Of the total U.S. population, 63.2% have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
This information comes from the New York Times interactive COVID-19 data tracker.
Children and COVID-19
The...
Spending per beneficiary is growing faster in Medicare Advantage (MA) and private plans than traditional Medicare and Part D prescription drug plans, according to the MedPAC analysis.
Modern Healthcare reports that the spending disparity has experts concerned, considering that Medicare Advantage enrollment is surging, currently...
On Monday, August 23, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine will now be marketed under the name Comirnaty and will be available to prevent the disease in individuals 16 years and older. For now, the vaccine will remain under emergency use authorization (EUA) for...
On Wednesday, August 18, Arizona reported 2,402 new cases of COVID-19, 37 new deaths and that 54.5% of Arizonans are now vaccinated. Across the state, 23% of intensive care unit beds are in use by COVID-19 patients and 10% of ICU beds remain available.
This information comes from the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19...
This week the number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 set a record with 1,900 pediatric cases in hospitals across the United States on Sunday night. The Delta variant's rapid spread is to blame, primarily among unvaccinated populations which include children under age 12.
Of all hospitalizations, children comprise just 2.4%...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States as a whole is currently at a community transmission level of “high”. 71.3% of adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The seven-day moving average deaths from COVID-19 is currently 452 per day with 664 deaths reported to the...Open
Cases are on an exponential increase in Arizona, according to experts. On Wednesday, August 4, there were 2,286 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the state and seven new deaths. The total number of cases is now 935,647 and 18,289 people have died from the virus in Arizona. Total vaccinations are very slowly increasing, with 52.7% of...
There were 1,361 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Arizona on Wednesday, June 28. There were two new deaths. 51.8% of Arizona residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Use of intensive care unit beds across the state rose substantially in the past week, 19% of ICU beds are now in use by COVID-19-related patients,...
Despite a decline in overburdened intensive care units and COVID-19 cases overall since January, there's still a dire shortage of nurses affecting many care providers in Arizona and across the country.
The Hertel Report's Publisher Jim Hammond spoke to the motivating reasons for the shortage on Arizona360 last Friday:
There's a lot...
Across the board, medical groups, hospitals and health care personnel are requesting institutional vaccination mandates for healthcare workers as the Delta variant spread increases case counts and hospitalizations nationwide.
The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) were joined by 58 other...
COVID-19 cases are on the upswing again in Arizona. For Wednesday, July 21, there were 1,043 new cases reported bringing the total case count to 911,479. There were 10 new deaths, and the total of COVID-19 related deaths in Arizona is now 18,127. The statewide vaccination percentage rests at 51.2%. Adult intensive care unit bed use is...
Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in Arizona as the Delta variant continues to spread. On Wednesday, there were 1,945 new cases reported and 21 new deaths. Just half, 50.7% of Arizonans are now vaccinated. Intensive care unit bed usage by COVID-19 patients is rising, now at 11% from 8% last week and 13% of ICU beds remain...
At AHCCCS' quarterly Arizona State Medicaid Advisory Committee (SMAC) meeting, members discussed continued Public Health Emergency (PHE) funding and other funding priorities.
AHCCCS now serves 2.2 million Arizonans, and over the last 17 months enrollment has grown by 373,000 - which is due to a condition of the enhanced federal match...
Despite vaccinating most residents against COVID-19, the decline in cases and deaths in nursing homes, and the relaxation of some visitation restrictions, residents and families continue to face limitations on visitation.
In January, the Consumer Voice released a report detailing the horrific impact of lockdowns on nursing home...
Pam Kehaly, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, said that when COVID-19 hit, everything she thought she knew about the healthcare workplace came crashing down - in the best way.
These are the three things that Kehaly learned that changed her outlook:
Nearly anything can be done in far less time than you think.
At the...Arizona News
Last week Steve Purves, President and CEO of Valleywise Health, became America’s Essential Hospitals’ board chair at a time when the nation’s safety net healthcare systems are in the national spotlight for leading the nation’s COVID-19 response.
Last week, Steve Purves, president and CEO of Valleywise Health, became...
There were 373 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Arizona on Wednesday and a total of four new deaths related to COVID-19. On Tuesday, the state passed the 18,000 marker for total deaths. The 17,000 death benchmark was passed on April 7. In terms of vaccinations, 49.9% of the state has been vaccinated against COVID-19. 9% of intensive...
