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CMS NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2020
Contact: CMS Media
Relations
(202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries
CMS Releases Recommendations on Adult Elective Surgeries,
Non-Essential Medical, Surgical, and Dental Procedures During COVID-19
Response
Earlier today at the White
House Task Force Press Briefing, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) announced that all elective surgeries, non-essential medical,
surgical, and dental procedures be delayed during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak.
As more healthcare
providers are increasingly being asked to assist with the COVID-19 response,
it is critical that they consider whether non-essential surgeries and
procedures can be delayed so they can preserve personal protective equipment
(PPE), beds, and ventilators.
“The reality is clear and
the stakes are high: we need to preserve personal protective
equipment for
those on the front lines of this fight,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.
This will not only
preserve equipment but also free up our healthcare workforce to care for the
patients who are most in need. Additionally, as states and the nation as a
whole work towards limiting the spread of COVID-19, healthcare providers
should encourage patients to remain home, unless there is an emergency, to
protect others while also limiting their exposure to the virus. They should
also urge patients to follow the President’s recently issued guidelines to help slow the spread of the
virus.
The recommendations
provide a framework for hospitals and clinicians to implement immediately
during the COVID-19 response. The recommendations outline factors that should
be considered for postponing elective surgeries, and non-essential medical,
surgical, and dental procedures. Those factors include patient risk factors,
availability of beds, staff and PPE, and the urgency of the procedure. This
will help providers to focus on addressing more urgent cases and preserve
resources needed for the COVID-19 response. The decision about proceeding
with non-essential surgeries and procedures will be made at the local level
by the clinician, patient, hospital, and state and local health departments.
The recommendations can be
found here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/31820-cms-adult-elective-surgery-and-procedures-recommendations.pdf
These recommendations, and
earlier CMS guidance and actions in response to the COVID-19 virus, are part
of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts. To keep up with the important
work the Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here www.coronavirus.gov for further information.
For a complete and updated list of CMS actions, and other information
specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.
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Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on Twitter CMS
Administrator @SeemaCMS, @CMSgov, and @CMSgovPress.
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Thursday, March 19, 2020
CMS Releases Recommendations on Adult Elective Surgeries, Non-Essential Medical, Surgical, and Dental Procedures During COVID-19 Response
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