HHS has begun releasing $9 billion in Provider Relief Fund payments to support health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 69,000 providers in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and eight territories will receive Phase 4 payments. Approximately 75% of Phase 4 funding is being distributed based on expenses and decreased revenues from July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, and HRSA is distributing 25% of Phase 4 funding as “bonus” payments based on the amount and type of services provided to Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP patients.
Read the full release HERE.
Source: HHS.gov
December 17: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra released a statement welcoming Carole Johnson back to HHS as the new administrator of the Health Resources Services Administration. Johnson was previously the testing coordinator for the White House COVID-19 response team and will be replaced in that role by senior HHS official Tom Inglesby.
Secretary Becerra on Carole Johnson’s return to HHS:
“With Carole Johnson’s return, HHS gains a leader for its Health Resources and Services Administration with deep health expertise who has been integral to the Biden-Harris Administration’s fight against COVID-19. Not only does Carole know how to leverage the most effective tools to battle the most pressing public health challenges, she has a strong track record of getting results at the state and national level. In New Jersey, as state Human Services Commissioner, Carole successfully expanded access to health services and demonstrated a strong commitment to health equity. Under President Obama, she was a key leader in government-wide responses to the emergence of Ebola and Zika and to addressing the opioid crisis and other behavioral health challenges and, most recently under President Biden, she has corralled medical personnel and first responders to turn the Delta tide across COVID-19 hot spots. In her new role, the Biden-Harris Administration and our nation will continue to benefit from Carole’s experience and policy acumen.”
Secretary Becerra on Tom Ingelsby’s departure:
“Tom is a highly valued member of our HHS team and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Tom as he advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to expand testing as part of the White House COVID-19 response team. Tom’s work is recognized not only in the U.S. but around the world for his work in public health and pandemic preparedness. At HHS, he has played a critical role in identifying how to help communities who need the most help in our work to mitigate COVID-19. His talent for quickly assessing new data and science to determine the best path forward has routinely been an asset to the Administration at large. With Tom at the White House, our nation will continue to benefit from his expertise as we tackle the pandemic.”
Source: HHS.gov
The HHS COVID-19 public education campaign is a national initiative to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines while reinforcing basic prevention measures. Through a nationwide network of trusted messengers and consistent, fact-based public health messaging, the campaign helps the public make informed decisions about their health and COVID-19, including steps to protect themselves and their communities.
Visit WeCanDoThis.HHS.gov for valuable resources, including videos, fact sheets, posters & flyers, social media posts, outreach materials, and much more!
Schedule a demo and organize your compliance program on one secure cloud-based platform today.