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​Congressional Spending Package to Address Novel Coronavirus

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

On March 4, Congressional leaders reached a deal on an $8.3 billion spending package to combat the novel coronavirus. The Senate subsequently passed the measure, and the President has signed it.

The bill, H.R. 6074 (116), provides new discretionary spending to bolster vaccine development, research, equipment stockpiles, and state and local health budgets. Key components are:

$400 million will be sent to state and local governments within 30 days after the bill is enacted, with each state receiving at least $4 million.
$490 million in mandatory spending by lifting constraints on Medicare payments for telehealth so beneficiaries can freely consult their doctors remotely — avoiding hospitals and physicians’ offices, where they might risk exposure to the virus
$836 million to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for research and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics
$10 million will be allocated to worker-based training to prevent and reduce exposure for hospital employees, emergency first responders, and other workers on the front lines.
$3.1 billion to shore up medical supplies and supplement the Strategic National Stockpile, including:        

$100 million for community health centers
$826 million for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the development of coronavirus vaccines, treatments, and tests
$2.2 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including $950 million to support the response efforts of state and local health agencies; about half of that must be allocated in the next 30 days.
$61 million for the FDA for vaccines and other efforts to counter the virus, keeping up with shortages in medical products, and efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing of those items

$1.3 billion for the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development for aiding the global fight against the virus
Raises the cap from $10 million to $100 million for emergency evacuations
$20 million to the Small Business Administration to increase the number of loans for businesses affected by the outbreak
$136 million to replace funds recently shifted from various health accounts, including mental health and substance abuse programs

CHA will continue to work with members of the California congressional delegation to respond to member hospitals’ needs.

Governor’s State of Emergency Declaration

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On March 4, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency based on the rising number of novel coronavirus cases in the state. The declaration makes additional resources available, formalizes emergency actions already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and is intended to help the state prepare for broader spread of COVID-19.

The declaration includes several requests CHA made on behalf of hospitals, including:

Allowing the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to suspend health facility licensing statutes and regulations upon approval by the CDPH Director

Allowing out-of-state practitioners to work in California without additional state licensure, upon approval by the Emergency Medical Services Authority director

Extending disability benefits to health care workers who are unable to work due to having or being exposed to COVID-19

Allowing hospitals to provide child care without a day care license, provided they receive a waiver from the Department of Social Services

CHA also requested specific items related to rest period penalties, unemployment benefits for furloughed workers, and expedited enrollment for practitioners in Medi-Cal that are not included in the declaration of emergency.

Governor’s State of Emergency Declaration

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

On March 4, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency based on the rising number of novel coronavirus cases in the state. The declaration makes additional resources available, formalizes emergency actions already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and is intended to help the state prepare for broader spread of COVID-19.

The declaration includes several requests CHA made on behalf of hospitals, including:

Allowing the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to suspend health facility licensing statutes and regulations upon approval by the CDPH Director
Allowing out-of-state practitioners to work in California without additional state licensure, upon approval by the Emergency Medical Services Authority director
Extending disability benefits to health care workers who are unable to work due to having or being exposed to COVID-19
Allowing hospitals to provide child care without a day care license, provided they receive a waiver from the Department of Social Services

CHA also requested specific items related to rest period penalties, unemployment benefits for furloughed workers, and expedited enrollment for practitioners in Medi-Cal that are not included in the declaration of emergency.

NEWS UPDATES

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CDPH Updates

March 10 CDPH Call With Hospitals

On March 10, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) hosted a weekly call with health care providers. Highlights included:

Status updates

Webinar Recordings

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.  Coronavirus: Untangling Employee Safety Regulations and Guidance Click here to view the recording. Originally recorded March 18, 2020. Novel Coronavirus: Lessons from the Front Line Webinar Click  here to view the recording. Originally recorded March 11, 2020.

State Waivers and AFLs

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

CHA has prepared a how-to guide for requesting state federal waivers.

Questions? Contact Lois Richardson at lrichardson@calhospital.org.

Guide to State Waivers and Program Flexibilities

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

CHA has prepared a how-to guide for requesting program flexibility from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), including links to the CDPH forms for requests to suspend both state licensing regulations and statutes. Questions?

Resource Requests

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With resources at critically low levels across all regions of the state, the nation, and worldwide, the best way to get supplies in California is to request them through the Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) Program.

A list of county MHOAC contacts is here.

Instructions for requesting supplies through MHOAC — a process that is tested annually with your hospital and disaster coordinator during the November Statewide Medical and Health Exercise — are below.

Introducing OurCOVIDResponse.org

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As California’s hospitals continue their life-saving work during the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital associations are grateful for the opportunity to support them.

OurCOVIDResponse.org collects the relevant tools and resources we’ve developed to date — with more to come as we continue to help hospitals care for all Californians, in all ways.