HHS releases provider-level information on CARES Act payments

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) posted information on providers who have received payment from the $50 billion general distribution of the Provider Relief Fund created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The dataset represents the list of providers who received a payment from the fund and who have attested payments and agreed to the Terms and Conditions as of May 4, 2020.

The administration also posted a breakdown detailing how much of the initial $30 billion in general Provider Relief Fund distributions went to providers in each congressional district.

HHS extends attestation deadline for emergency funds

HHS extended the deadline for healthcare providers to attest to receipt of payments from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund and accept the terms and conditions. 

Providers will now have 45 days, increased from 30 days, from the date they receive a payment to attest and accept the terms and conditions or return the funds. For example, the initial 30-day deadline for providers who received payment on April 10, is extended to May 24 from May 9. With the extension, not returning the payment within 45 days of receipt of payment will be viewed as acceptance of the terms and conditions.

ADHS updates guidance for COVID-19 isolation, return to work of healthcare personnel

ADHS published updated guidance this week consistent with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  ADHS’s “Release from Isolation” Guidance recommends a uniform "10-and-3" policy in which isolation is maintained for at least 10 days after illness onset and at least three days (72 hours) without fever, and no use of fever-reducing medication AND other symptoms have improved.

The CDC’s guidance on a symptom-based strategy using time-since-illness-onset and time-since-recovery for people with symptoms and a time-based-strategy for those without symptoms for discontinuation of transmission-based precautions was issued on May 3. The CDC’s return-to-work criteria for healthcare personnel with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 was also revised to include the “10-and-3” criteria.

Decontamination system to extend the life of N95 respirators

An FDA-authorized N95 respirator decontamination system is now available for use in Arizona at no cost to public- and private-sector healthcare providers.

The federal government funded a contract to ensure healthcare partners may use the Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS™) decontaminate N95 respirators as part of the national COVID-19 response.

Each CCDS has the ability to decontaminate tens of thousands of N95 respirators per day. The system uses low concentration, vapor-phase hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate N95s of pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, allowing safe reuse of the same N95 up to 20 times without degraded performance.  

If your hospital is interested in taking advantage of the Battelle technology/service, please take the following steps: 

• Stop disposing of N95 masks that are free of damage (not torn or ripped) and free of visible soiling (blood, bodily fluids, or makeup).
• Enroll at http://battelle.org/decon -- you will then:

✔ Receive a unique 3-digit facility code that you will use to label each N95

✔ Get information regarding how the N95s should be bagged and boxed

✔ Get additional information about the process for getting masks to the Battelle site in Phoenix, as well as mask redeployment back to you

✔ Obtain other critical guidance for being an effective participant in the process