AHA asks HHS to continue the public health emergency until conditions stabilize

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The American Hospital Association and more than a dozen other provider organizations have asked Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to keep the public health emergency designation until it is clear that the global pandemic has ended.

"We appreciate your ongoing leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we request that the Administration maintain the public health emergency (PHE) until it is clear that the global pandemic has receded and the capabilities authorized by the PHE are no longer necessary," the AHA said in a May 10 letter. "This will help prevent any future surges from threatening the health and safety of patients and the ability of health care professionals to care for them." 

The AHA said the risk from COVID-19 variants remains, and cases are currently rising across the country.

"Advancements in surveillance have observed rapid variant mutations and while public health experts acknowledge that current variants are not leading to excessive hospitalizations at this time, they also assert that new variants absolutely could," the letter states. "We need to be ready should a future variant elude the protection of our current vaccines and ensure that the health care system is prepared as we head into this fall's flu season."

WHY THIS MATTERS

The current PHE is scheduled to end in mid-July, with HHS promising providers 60 days' notice before ending it. 

This means notice would have to be given 60 days before July 15, or by next week.

The PHE has allowed for regulatory waivers and flexibilities, including, said the AHA, for expedited emergency use authorizations for vaccines, tests and treatments; for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' policies that have bolstered patient access to these tests and treatments; and for flexibilities that ensure hospitals and other providers have the ability to rapidly increase their capacity to care for patients, most effectively utilize their workforce, and pivot to caring for both COVID-19 patients and those in need of ongoing care. 

"As in many sectors, health care is experiencing severe workforce shortages, which can impact access to care for all patients," the AHA said.

Also, once the PHE expires, many states will conduct redeterminations of eligibility for coverage. Up to 15 million Americans – including 6.7 million children – are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage, as many will find options for coverage to be unaffordable, the AHA said. 

THE LARGER TREND

This week, experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health weighed in on what's next for the pandemic and what criteria need to be met for the pandemic to be considered over.

"Even though the pandemic is entering a new phase," said Dr. David Dowdy, associate professor, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, "it's not over. In some ways, we're already in the midst of a surge. We can't rule out another wave in the coming months."

Globally, 2,000 people are dying of COVID-19 every day, according to Dowdy.  More than 3 billion people – mostly children and in poorer countries – are still not fully vaccinated, he said.

ON THE RECORD

"The PHE should supplement, not supplant in any way, the Administration's ongoing work for more resources to help pay for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment related to COVID-19," the AHA letter to HHS said. "Your continued support for additional resources to combat the COVID-19 threat is strengthened by the fact that the PHE continues to be in place. We urge the Administration to maintain the PHE until we experience an extended period of greater stability and, guided by science and data, can safely unwind the resulting flexibilities."

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com