On Friday, I sent a letter to Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health Chair Anna Eshoo (D-CA) urging her to schedule a hearing on the federal government’s supply of medical countermeasures for public health emergencies, the Strategic National Stockpile. It is Congress’ duty to conduct oversight and improve this important national resource that has been stretched to the limits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Update: The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Responseannounced a distribution plan for the 607,000 vials of the experimental drug remdesivir to the United States that Gilead Sciences donated.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released information on how pharmacies and other suppliers currently enrolled in Medicare can use the provider enrollment hotline to enroll temporarily as independent clinical diagnostic laboratories to help meet the urgent need to increase COVID-19 testing capability.
The Food and Drug Administration published a best practices webpage with resources to assist retail food establishments planning to re-open after temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas Update: Texas health care providers have received over $6.5 billion in loans from the CMS Accelerated and Advance Payment Program to help them financially during this pandemic.
