Welcome to Tuesday’s Overnight Health Care.
The Trump administration will require nursing homes to test their staff, but not patients. Trump’s deadline for implementing his drug price executive order has passed, and nothing has happened. Meanwhile, states warn that FEMA may no longer pay for protective gear.
Let’s start with nursing homes:
Trump administration to require nursing homes test staff for COVID-19
The Trump administration will require nursing homes test staff for COVID-19, and facilities that don’t comply could face financial penalties.
The new requirement, issued Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and effective immediately, comes about six months after the virus began circulating in American nursing homes, killing tens of thousands of mostly elderly residents and sickening hundreds of thousands more.
During the early stages of the pandemic, there were not enough kits available to perform tests on staff members.
Now, after six months, enough testing is available to require testing of staff, who are thought to be the main spreaders of the virus in nursing homes.
Previously, the testing of staff was only recommended.
“While we’ve had good compliance across the country, we want to make sure every single nursing home is doing this,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.
Read more here.
Trump deadline for drug pricing order passes with no action
President Trump said in July that “August 24 at 12:00” was the deadline for implementing his drug pricing order. Well, that deadline has now come and gone without any action from the White House.
The White House declined to comment when asked about the path forward for the order on Tuesday.
The order in question is called a “most-favored nation clause” and is aimed at lowering the prices for a subset of drugs paid for by Medicare to be in line with those paid in other developed countries.
“We’re going to hold that until Aug. 24, hoping that the pharmaceutical companies will come up with something that will substantially reduce drug prices,” Trump said at the signing ceremony in July. “And the clock starts right now. So, it’s Aug. 24 at 12 [a.m.], after which the order on favored nations will go into effect.”
A deal with PhRMA? The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has been in talks with the White House in recent days and has submitted an alternative proposal, sources said, amid Trump’s stated openness to a deal to avert the order, but it remains unclear if any bargain will be reached.
Some good news: Africa eliminates polio in historic health win
African leaders said Tuesday the continent is free of wild poliovirus, a historic public health achievement that will spare tens of thousands of children from the devastating disease every year.
The Africa Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication officially declared the continent free of polio four years after Nigeria reported the last known case.
“This is a momentous milestone for Africa. Now future generations of African children can live free of wild polio,” said Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Africa regional director.
Polio paralyzed an estimated 75,000 African children annually in the 1990s, when African nations began their push to eradicate the virus. Then-South African President Nelson Mandela kicked off the continent-wide effort to end infections in 1996.
States say FEMA may no longer pay for protective gear
State and local governments officials say the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has indicated it might no longer provide reimbursements for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies needed to fight COVID-19.
FEMA reimburses state and local governments for 75 percent of the costs for PPE and disinfectants, but that arrangement may soon end, according to state and municipal leaders.
“This proposed change to PPE coverage continues a troubling pattern of shifting costs and responsibilities onto states and localities when they can least afford it,” the National Governors Association (NGA), National Conference of State Legislatures and other groups wrote in a letter Tuesday to FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor.
An NGA spokesperson told The Hill that regional administrators for FEMA indicated in conversations with state officials that a reimbursement change could be coming, but no formal documents have been issued.
Read more here.
CDC says don’t argue with anti-maskers
Retail and service industry workers should not argue with anti-maskers, according to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As part of new guidance for workplace safety, the agency said employees should not attempt to force customers to follow COVID-19 prevention policies if the customer gets agitated.
“Don’t argue with a customer if they make threats or become violent,” the CDC says.
The CDC recommended that businesses institute policies such as mask wearing, social distancing and limits on customers, but warned that workers could be threatened or assaulted for enforcing them.
“Threats and assaults can happen in any workplace, but may be more likely to occur in retail, services (e.g., restaurants), and other customer- or client-based businesses,” the CDC said.
VIRTUAL EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: COVID-19: THE WAY FORWARD — WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH AT 1PM EDT
As election day approaches, the COVID-19 pandemic remains an ever-present threat. On the sidelines of the 2020 Republican Convention, The Hill will host a discussion with policymakers and hospital and medical school leaders about lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of research and innovation in battling healthcare crises, and the value of a resilient and responsive health care ecosystem. Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas) joins The Hill’s Steve Clemons.
What we’re reading
Universities sound alarm as coronavirus cases emerge just days into classes — 530 at one campus (Washington Post)
You can get reinfected with Covid-19 but still have immunity. Let’s explain. (Vox)
Four scenarios on how we might develop immunity to Covid-19 (Stat)
State by state
Texas colleges already seeing COVID cases as classes begin (The Dallas Morning News)
Boston doctor aims to unseat longtime Democrat who voted against ObamaCare (HuffPost)
Beleaguered Texas Republicans’ latest threat: Coronavirus (Politico)
The Hill op-eds