Nearly all hospitals would lose an average of $2,800 per COVID-19 patient case if reimbursement rates aren’t raised, according to Strata, with some losing between $8,000 to $10,000 per case.
The study concluded that without a 35% reimbursement rate hike, many hospitals will exhaust cash flows within 60 to 90 days.

To address the anticipated shortage of ICU staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, SCCM is proposing that U.S. hospitals adopt a tiered staffing model that integrates experience ICU personnel with reassigned hospital staff members. The integrated ICU personnel would be used to staff non-traditional ICUs created in repurposed hospital spaces such as post-anesthesia care units.

Concern about the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a high demand for both surgical masks and N95 respirators. Decreases in exports from countries such as China, India, and Taiwan, along with increased worldwide demand due to the outbreak, has resulted in an increased volume of orders and challenges in meeting demands, PPE manufacturers have reported.

The guidelines also address dental procedures, warning that they use PPE and “have one of the highest risks of transmission due to the close proximity of the healthcare provider to the patient.” CMS recommends that all non-essential dental exams and procedures be postponed until further notice.”

There are two primary public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: mitigation and suppression, the report says. Mitigation seeks to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus. Suppression seeks to reverse epidemic growth.

The moves were made in response to a CMS announcement on March 5 that it was suspending survey activities except for certain cases, including immediate jeopardy complaints, allegations of abuse and neglect, and infection control concerns, including facilities with potential COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses.

Researchers from National Institutes of Health (NIH), CDC, UCLA, and Princeton University analyzed the aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 and compared it with SARS-CoV-1, the most closely related coronavirus. The study looked at 10 experimental conditions involving the two viruses in five environmental conditions: Aerosols, plastic, stainless steel, copper, and cardboard.

In a memo to OSHA regional administrators and state OSHA-designated offices, the agency said it was working in support of CDC and CMS guidance allowing the use of non-medical respirators when N95 or other such respirators were not available. In its guidance, CMS has also told its surveyors not to validate annual fit testing, if other requirements are met.

Array Advisors called for provider organizations to take immediate action to combat the spread of the virus, which has caused significant clinical and financial damage in recent weeks. The company stated that if the virus spreads faster than expected or states do not choose to cancel elective medical procedures, these bed shortage projections might occur sooner than expected.

The COVID-19 pandemic is straining healthcare workers worldwide, according to the new journal article, which was published last week by the Journal of the American Medical Association. “The pressure on the global healthcare workforce continues to intensify.