CMS
NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2020
Contact: CMS Media Relations
Trump Administration Encourages
Reopening of Healthcare Facilities
New recommendations provide guidance
to health systems and patients as COVID-19 cases decline
Today, under the
direction of President Trump, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) released a guide for patients and beneficiaries as
they consider their in-person care options. During the height of the
pandemic, many healthcare systems and patients postponed non-emergency,
in-person care in order to keep patients and providers safe and to ensure
capacity to care for COVID-19 patients. As states and regions across the
United States see a decline in cases of COVID-19, CMS is providing these
recommendations to ensure that non-emergency healthcare resumes safely and
that patients are receiving needed in-person treatment that may have been
postponed due to the public health emergency.
“Thanks to
President Trump’s unprecedented expansion of telehealth, many patients have
been able to access their clinicians while staying safe at home. But
while telehealth has proven to be a lifeline, nothing can absolutely
replace the gold standard: in-person care,” said CMS Administrator Seema
Verma. “Americans need their healthcare and our healthcare heroes are
working overtime to deliver it safely. Those needing operations,
vaccinations, procedures, preventive care, or evaluation for chronic
conditions should feel confident seeking in-person care when recommended by
their provider.”
On April
19, CMS issued Phase 1 recommendations to safely resume
in-person care in areas with low incidence or relatively low and stable
incidence of COVID-19 cases. CMS is also providing more information as
healthcare systems, providers, and facilities further expand in-person care
delivery. Recommendations cover a range of topics to ensure patient and
clinician safety, including facility considerations, testing and sanitation
protocols, personal protective equipment and supplies, and workforce
availability. As with Phase 1 recommendations, decisions to reopen should
be consistent with federal, state, and local orders, CDC guidance, and in
collaboration with state and local public health authorities.
As the country
continues to reopen, patients have questions about when to resume in-person
visits with their clinicians. To aid patients in making a decision that is
right for them, CMS issued recommendations to help guide patients as they
consider seeking in-person, non-emergency treatment. Ultimately, patients
should rely on their providers’ suggested course of treatment.
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