The Biden administration plans to end the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, a month later than the current April 11 termination date.
The statement of administration policy was announced in response to H.R. 382. It passed on Jan. 31 in the U.S. House of Representatives and would end the PHE on the date of its enactment. However, it’s not expected to receive a vote in the Senate.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adopted a significant number of blanket waivers that have allowed hospitals greater flexibility to care for patients throughout the PHE. While Congress has extended some of these waivers — including certain telehealth waivers — most will end on May 11 with the termination of the PHE.
The California state of emergency will end on Feb. 28. To assist members in preparing for the end of these state and federal flexibilities, CHA is creating a resource page that will include information on the current waivers. It will be updated with any forthcoming guidance from state and federal agencies. Additional details will be available in the Feb. 6 edition of CHA News.