HHS Renews COVID-19 PHE, Key Flexibilities That Come With It

As COVID-19 cases rapidly increase, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the renewal of the COVID-19 public health emergency for an additional 90 days. 

The extension provides hospitals and health systems support and protections while they manage COVID-19 in their communities.

Earlier in the week, two provider groups called on the federal government to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration initially set to expire on Jan. 16, 2022.

In separate letters to the federal government, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) said that the absence of the PHE declaration would exacerbate challenges the US healthcare system currently faces. 

“The emergency declarations have proven critical in equipping hospitals and health systems with the tools and resources necessary to manage the recent COVID-19 surges and ensure high-quality care in this unprecedented environment,” Richard J Pollack, AHA president and chief executive officer, stated in the letter. 

COVID-19 surges have overwhelmed the healthcare system. According to the AHA letter, there are over 1.5 million new COVID-19 cases, more than 101,3000 hospitalizations, and a 26.6 percent COVID-19 test positivity rate. 

As states experience record high rates of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, hospitals are challenged by workforce shortages, employee burnout, and drug shortages.

“As you know, America’s hospitals, health systems and front-line workers continue to face historic and unprecedented staffing, resource and financial pressures,” Pollack stated. “This most recent surge resulting from both the Delta and new Omicron variants has once again threatened to overwhelm the US [healthcare] system -from testing sites to emergency departments to hospital intensive care units.”

MGMA stated that the flexibilities offered under the COVID-19 PHE have been beneficial to a range of medical groups, from small rural private practices to large national health systems.

In addition, the emergency declaration expanded telehealth services. According to the MGMA letter, nearly 50 percent of MGMA members shifted to telehealth visits during this latest surge.

“Medical groups acted quickly in 2020 to pivot from in-person appointments to virtual ones, once the telehealth waivers went into effect,” Anders Gilberg, MGMA’s senior vice president of Government Affairs, stated in their letter to the HHS.

“This involved significant investments in infrastructure as well as changes in workflows. To end these flexibilities now would be detrimental to patient access and care, especially at a time when the Omicron variant is wreaking havoc on our healthcare system.”

The groups encouraged the federal government to continue to supply hospitals and health systems with support until the PHE slowly wanes out.