Delta Variant of COVID-19 Grips the Nation
According to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Delta variant of COVID-19 now accounts for 83% of reported and sequenced cases in the U.S. The variant, also known as B.1.617.2, is more contagious than other strains; “The World Health Organization (WHO) has called this version of the virus ‘the fastest and the fittest” (Yale Medicine).
In the last two weeks, the estimated rate of COVID-19 cases stemming from the Delta variant increased by more than 30%. This rate of increase is undoubtedly fueled by lagging vaccination rates nationwide; only half of all eligible Americans have been fully vaccinated.
Officials continue to impress the importance of getting vaccinated, citing CDC data that shows 99.5% of COVID-19 deaths occurred among unvaccinated individuals (The Hill).
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Read MoreMore Americans Enrolled in Medicaid Than Ever Before
As reported by The Washington Post, the number of people in the U.S. depending upon the federal and state healthcare insurance coverage program — Medicaid — has reached an all-time high. Data shows that over 80 million individuals are now enrolled in the program for those with limited income and resources. This data comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recent report, made public on Monday.
The inflation of Medicaid enrollment can be traced to the COVID-19 pandemic which left many Americans unemployed and uninsured. However, officials say the growth of the program can also be attributed to the stipulations of the first COVID-19 relief law. Passed by Congress in 2020, the law funneled money to the states for Medicaid costs. Alongside the funds came the expectation that no one would be removed from Medicaid rolls until the COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
In under one year, enrollment surged nationwide with nearly 9.9 million individuals signing up for Medicaid. In fact, more Americans are now enrolled in Medicaid than Medicare, the federal insurance program for those living with disabilities or aged 65 years or older.
Click here to read more from The Washington Post.
Read MoreCongress Considers More Waivers for Foreign Physicians in Face of Shortage
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought healthcare to the forefront of the American mind, and it’s revealed some areas for improvement. For one, it raised the question of how the U.S. plans to handle the increasing shortage of physicians in the country. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that the U.S. “will have a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033” (The Guardian).
One solution to the problem could be set in motion this year; legislation currently being considered in Congress would allow 40,000 physicians from across the globe to continue their medical careers in the U.S. permanently.
The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (S.1204) is a bipartisan bill that proposes giving green cards to thousands of immigrant healthcare professionals. Advocates of the bill say that it is the U.S.’s best bet to come up with the thousands of physicians that the country will require in the coming years.
Many international physicians are issued J-1 visas, which are contingent upon being employed, making it difficult to move between different locations or employers. The difficulties that immigrant physicians face trying to establish residency in the U.S. motivate many to practice medicine in other countries. The passage of S.1204 would make the U.S. more enticing to international physicians looking to set up practice abroad.
Click here to read more from The Guardian.
Read MoreFederal Funds Allocated for Hiring Healthcare Workers
On Thursday, May 13, 2021, the Biden Administration announced that it will allocate $7.4 billion to hire public healthcare workers. Among other things, the funds will be used to start the Public Health Americorps, ease the burden on “‘overstretched'” health departments, hire school nurses and “‘modernize the public health workforce'” (The Hill).
The funding is part of the pandemic relief package that legislators passed earlier in March. Nearly half of the allocated funds will be used to alleviate the burden on health departments that are understaffed. Those hired will do “vaccination outreach, testing, contract tracing, and other tasks” (The Hill). An additional $3 billion will be used over a longer period of time to “‘modernize'” aspects of public health, including the creation of a grant program.
A small portion of the funds will be set aside to hire school nurses to assist with vaccinating children as COVID-19 vaccines are approved for younger age groups.
Click here to read more from The Hill.
Read MoreHHS Releases New Guidelines for Treating Opioid Use Disorder
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a new version of the Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder. The updated guidance removes the statutory training requirements for eligible physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives to administer Buprenorphine, a medication for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
The decision to remove these certification requirements for eligible healthcare professionals is applauded by many healthcare organizations and workers as such requirements were cited as barriers around treating individuals with OUD. The hope is that the removal of training requirements will increase the access and use of Medication-based Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (MOUD).
According to data from the American Medical Association (AMA), opioid overdose deaths are surging in the U.S. The AMA’s latest Opioid Task Force Progress Report found that “illicitly manufactured fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and stimulants (e.g. methamphetamine, cocaine) are now killing more Americans than ever. The use of these illicit drugs has surged and their overdose rate increased by 10.1% and 10.8%, respectively.”
Click here to learn more about the guidance which went into effect on April 28, 2021.
Read MoreFDA Approves Pfizer Vaccine for Young Teens; States Plan for Hurdles Ahead
On Monday, May 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization (EUA) for children aged twelve to fifteen years old. With right around 17 million children falling into this age bracket nationwide, the FDA’s decision is a milestone in the race to vaccinate America.
However, health and school administrators have expressed concern about the hurdles states will have to overcome to vaccinate younger teenagers. When vaccinating children as young as twelve years old, there is a “‘different level of sensitivity,'” said Nathan Quesnel, a school superintendent who spoke with The New York Times. Already, schools and health organizations are determining how to educate parents about the vaccine and reassure them that having their child vaccinated is the right decision.
It is expected that vaccination for children aged twelve to fifteen years will start by the end of this week. State sites are expecting and preparing for “an initial surge in demand”.
Pfizer has already expressed that it plans to seek a EUA for vaccinating children under the age of twelve sometime later this year.
Click here to read more from The New York Times.
Read MoreAMA Issues Report on COVID-19 and Medicare Spending
The American Medical Association (AMA) issued a report that summarizes the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spending and use of Medicare physician services. The report, which focused on the first half of 2020, highlights the stresses placed on physician practices across the country. Practices are still experiencing decreases in patient volume and revenue as well as increases in practice costs, according to the report’s findings.
In March and April of 2020, MPFS spending declined by as much as 57% and although spending recovered by the end of June in the same year, it was still 12% lower than previously expected. For the first half of 2020, it is estimated that Medicare physician spending was reduced by $9.4 billion.
The specialty that experienced the largest reduction in spending was physical therapists, who saw a 34% decrease. The average drop in revenue for practices across the nation was 32%.
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Read MoreArizona Physicians Urge Residents to Continue Wearing a Mask
The Arizona Medical Association (ArMA) released a press release urging Arizonans to continue to wear a mask and follow CDC guidance as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination efforts are ongoing, and do show progress, but physicians know it is imperative that Arizonans of all ages remain committed to reducing the spread until herd immunity is reached.
“While the vaccination numbers continue to rise, we must remain consistent in our effort to protect the most vulnerable from this virus and its variants,” stated Miriam Anand, MD, ArMA President. “Now is not the time for preventive measures to take a backseat in this fight. We hope that everyone will continue to follow CDC guidance as we navigate through what we hope is the end of this pandemic.”
Miriam Anand, MD, ArMA President
ArMA is the largest physician-led organization in Arizona and continues to provide physician input on public health measures with patients’ safety as the top priority. ArMA encouraged all Arizonans to practice protective measures against COVID-19 that include continuing to wear a mask in public, practicing physical distancing, and maintaining good hand hygiene, and if able, getting vaccinated.
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