COVID-19 News from NAHU

 Congress

• The Senate held a procedural vote on Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) targeted coronavirus relief package and the nearly $500 billion stimulus bill failed to advance by a vote of 52-47, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joining Democratic lawmakers in voting against it.
• Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) urged McConnell to pass the House’s HEROES Act.
• Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Abiding by U.S. Commitments Act, which would ensure the United States fulfills its commitments to the World Health Organization by providing $118.9M and strengthen global efforts to develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
• Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the COVID Enrollment Response (COVER) Act, which would invest in outreach and enrollment assistance to help more Americans find quality, affordable health insurance.
• Representative Charlie Crist (D-FL) introduced the Coronavirus Testing Capacity Expansion Act, legislation to increase and expand the United States' ability to test for the coronavirus by bringing non- traditional labs, such as veterinarian and university labs, into the fight, making them eligible to conduct testing and incentivizing their participation.
• House Small Business Committee Republicans released a statement on the unique challenges small businesses in rural communities face during the pandemic.

Administration 

• Less than a month after President Trump's executive order to extend $400 in enhanced unemployment benefits, states are being informed by FEMA that funding is running out.
• During a press conference, President Trump stated the U.S. is "rounding the final turn [on the pandemic] and we're going to have vaccines very soon..."
• The Administration's decision to require the deferral of payroll taxes for federal workers and military members marks the first major employer to announce its participation in the deferral program.
• HHS announced the details of a $2 billion Provider Relief Fund performance-based incentive payment distribution to nursing homes. This distribution is the latest update in the previously announced $5 billion in planned support to nursing homes grappling with the impact of COVID-19.
• HHS released the Rural Action Plan, the first HHS-wide assessment of rural healthcare efforts in more than 18 years and a product of HHS’s Rural Task Force.
• Treasury and the IRS issued guidance deferring certain payroll tax obligations.

States

• The Department of Labor announced $100 million in funding to support state efforts to combat fraud and recover improper payments in the Unemployment Insurance program, including those programs created under the CARES Act.
• Track where all 50 states stand on reopening here.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released resources to assist states to reopen.

CMS has approved over 200 requests for state relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including recent approvals for Alaska, Iowa, Hawaii, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah and Virginia.