The Department of Health and Human Services has once again extended the public health emergency declared at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to April 11.
The PHE enables HHS to take action with more flexibilities during times of health emergencies. The COVID-19 PHE has leveraged emergency waivers, regulations, enforcement discretion and sub-regulatory guidance to offer more flexibilities to providers and improve access to care. It has been in place since the early days of the pandemic in the United States and has been continually renewed every 90 days since. HHS has stated it will give healthcare providers at least 60 days’ notice before ending the PHE and thereby ending some of those flexibilities that have improved access to care for many Americans.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra renewed the COVID-19 PHE on Jan. 11, ensuring it will last at least another 90 days.
“The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency remains in effect, and as HHS committed to earlier, we will provide a 60-day notice to states before any possible termination or expiration,” an HHS spokesperson told CNBC.
The renewal comes as the country is facing another wave of COVID-19 infections, this time from a new variant identified as XBB.1.5. The U.S. is currently reporting more than 470,000 new cases of COVID-19 per week, more than 2,700 deaths per week and nearly 6,000 weekly hospitalizations, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. XBB.1.5 is estimated to make up 27.6% of COVID-19 cases in the United States, the CDC reported Jan. 6. However, the agency noted “projections can be uncertain when a variant is just beginning to spread,” and XBB.1.5 is already known to be extremely contagious.
Extending the PHE while the pandemic is still ongoing is critical for healthcare providers that have adapted to the flexibilities afforded, according to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), which spoke with Health Exec about the importance of the continuation of the PHE last year.
HHS has signaled it will end the PHE and published a “roadmap” for providers to navigate the process of winding down in August 2022. The impact of the loss of the PHE will be severe––with millions losing Medicaid coverage, according to a recent analysis.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."