SEEMA VERMA

Seema Verma never considered resigning from her job running the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs in the wake of last week's deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, even after several Trump administration officials stepped down to protest the president's encouragement of a mob of angry protestors. The Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provide health insurance for the elderly, disabled and poor Americans, has been among the administration's closest allies to Vice President Mike Pence, having worked with him on health care initiatives since he served as the governor of Indiana. Verma declined to comment on what discussions she's had with Pence in recent days, as tensions between President Donald Trump and his vice president have spilled into the public. Last week, she told staffers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, she was repulsed by the way the vice president was treated outside and inside the administration, sources told NBC news. And it was, it was very, very hard to watch," she said of the attack on the Capitol, having witnessed events unfold from her office window which looks out on the complex.

Government figures out Friday, Dec. 18 show sign-ups for Obamacare health insurance plans are trending more than 6% higher amid surging coronavirus cases and deepening economic misery. Numbers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania were not counted in Friday's tally from HealthCare.gov states. President Donald Trump failed to repeal “Obamacare" his first year in office, an early defeat he never forgot. Nonetheless, the Trump administration ignored calls to provide a special sign-up period related to the pandemic, something President-elect Joe Biden has said he will do. “This is the largest increase in HealthCare.gov enrollment since 2016 and it's the only increase during the Trump administration,” said Joshua Peck, who once served as marketing chief for the program.

WASHINGTON – Millions of Americans who have lost health insurance in an economy shaken by the coronavirus can sign up for taxpayer-subsidized coverage starting Sunday. Hard numbers on how virus-related job losses have affected health coverage are not available because the most reliable government surveys will not be out until next year. That's on top of 26 million uninsured last year, before the pandemic, or about 8% of the U.S. population. Some private businesses, such as HealthSherpa.com, have created a niche market helping people enroll in HealthCare.gov plans. But, Dorn said, “a lot of people who need health insurance may not know there this is there chance to sign up."

A related Trump administration price disclosure requirement applying to hospitals is facing a federal lawsuit from the industry, alleging coercion and interference with business practices. The idea behind the new regulations on insurers is to empower patients to become better consumers of health care, thereby helping to drive down costs. “The final rule will work to reduce competition and push health care prices higher — not lower — for American families, patients, and taxpayers,” Matt Eyles, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement. "This is precisely the opposite of what Americans want in their health care." If the Trump rules withstand legal review, it’s unclear to what degree patients and their families will become a force reshaping the market.

The regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, will also increase what Medicare pays hospitals for COVID-19 treatments. Under Wednesday's announcement:— Seniors with traditional Medicare will pay nothing for COVID-19 vaccines, and any copays and deductibles are waived. — The government will pay private Medicare Advantage plans to administer the vaccine to seniors. — Workplace and individual health insurance plans will cover the COVID-19 vaccine as a preventive service, with no cost sharing. — State Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance plans will have to provide vaccines for free for the duration of the coronavirus public health emergency.

WASHINGTON – Medicare will cover the yet-to-be approved coronavirus vaccine free for older people under a policy change expected to be announced shortly, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday. It's questionable under normal circumstances if Medicare can pay for a drug that receives emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, as expected for the eventual coronavirus vaccine. A White House-backed initiative called “Operation Warp Speed” is pushing to have a vaccine ready for distribution in the coming months. States have already begun submitting their plans for vaccine distribution to the federal government. Initially, it's expected vaccines will go to people in high-risk groups such as medical personnel, frontline workers and nursing home residents and staff.

Birx announced Tuesday that HHS will now begin requiring new data from hospitals in order to better track seasonal influenza patients across the country. "It takes away that option of going to that particular hospital for Medicare and Medicaid patients." She said there are just over 6,000 hospitals in the agency's system that will receive notices beginning Wednesday, telling them how well they're complying with the data reporting requirements. However, the new guidance from HHS says that hospitals that don't have weekend staffing can submit their weekend data by end of day Monday. "At the end of the day this is about patients," Verma told reporters on the call.

WASHINGTON – A sharp decline in routine medical care for low-income children during the coronavirus shutdown could cause long-term harm if not reversed, federal officials warned Wednesday. “The absence of these vital health care services may have lifelong consequences for these vulnerable children, and I call on states, pediatric providers, families, and schools to ensure children catch up," CMS administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. Among the findings:— Early childhood vaccinations declined by 22%, or 1.7 million fewer immunizations for kids up to age 2. — Even after accounting for increased use of telehealth, there were 6.9 million fewer mental health visits. The changes mirror what happened with everyday health care services for adults.

Earlier this summer, as COVID-19 rebounded across the South and West, 1 in 5 nursing homes faced PPE shortages. The administration says it has provided money for PPE and in August began shipping N95 masks to nursing homes that reported shortages. Nursing homes have been in lockdown since mid-March, and that has taken a toll on the well-being of residents. The commission recommended a detailed template for how nursing homes can safely resume visitation. The ravages of the coronavirus in nursing homes have surprised and shocked many people.

The consultants, many with Republican Party ties, billed taxpayers up to $380 per hour on work largely aimed at polishing the profile of Medicare administrator Seema Verma, the investigators wrote. The contractors were “handpicked” by Verma's aides, the report said, creating “a shadow operation" that sidelined the communications staff of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “Congress did not intend for Administrator Verma or other senior CMS officials to use taxpayer dollars to stockpile CMS with handpicked consultants or promote Administrator Verma’s public profile and personal brand,” the report said. “Given the reckless disregard she has shown for the public’s trust, Administrator Verma should reimburse the taxpayers for these inappropriate expenditures,” it said. The report released Thursday was prepared by the Democratic staffs of two Senate and two House committees.

In this Aug. 24, 2020, photo Jean Grady smiles as she poses at her home in Westford, Vt. Grady wears an insulin pump to help manage her diabetes. Before the pandemic, Medicare rules required her make regular two-hour, one-way trips to New Hampshire to meet with her doctor to discuss her treatment. Medicare rule changes during the pandemic now makes it possible for her to meet with her doctor remotely, saving her from hours on the road. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring)

Before the pandemic, Medicare rules required her make regular two-hour, one-way trips to New Hampshire to meet with her doctor to discuss her treatment. (AP Photo/Wilson Ring)WASHINGTON Telehealth is a bit of American ingenuity that seems to have paid off in the coronavirus pandemic. Telehealth visits dropped with the reopening, but they're still far more common than before. As the government's flagship health care program, Medicare covers more than 60 million people, including those age 65 and older, and younger disabled people. Expanded Medicare telehealth could:help move the nation closer to a long-sought goal of treating mental health the same as physical conditions.

WASHINGTON Scrambling to check the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes, the Trump administration announced Tuesday it will require facilities to test staff regularly or face fines. The move comes months after the White House first urged governors to test all nursing home residents and staff. With residents, nursing homes are being required to offer them coronavirus tests if there is an outbreak or if any show symptoms. If the positive rate is below 5%, nursing homes will have to test staff once a month. Mark Parkinson, head of the industry group American Health Care Association, said nursing homes in many parts of the country still can't get timely results on COVID-19 tests.

They participated in a round-table with officials including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Seema Verma. The discussion came as reported positive case numbers in the state continue to rise, and South Carolina reported 56 coronavirus-related deaths, a near-record. State health officials tallied 1,203 new positive cases, for a total of 73,101 since the pandemic began. Were going to stay with you every step of the way until we put this virus in the past, Pence said to McMaster and other governors. How schools reopen is best left to local leaders, DeVos said, noting that plans would necessarily look different in various places.

The contracts, which are no longer active, were for strategic communications services, such as public engagement and interacting with the media. In a response that accompanies the report, she said CMS has deep concerns" with the conclusions, which are based on unsubstantiated assumptions and incomplete analysis." She also said the report relies on mischaracterizations of contractor tasks and duties and misrepresents federal acquisition rules. As head of CMS, Verma has enjoyed strong support from the White House but has clashed with health secretary Alex Azar. Vermas expansion of Medicare telehealth services may well be her most lasting accomplishment.

Several Indian states imposed weekend curfews and locked down high-risk areas as the number of coronavirus cases surged past 900,000 on Tuesday. The latest figures released Tuesday show Bernalillo County, which includes the states most populous metro area, added another 65 confirmed cases. Utah has now recorded 226 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and nearly 30,500 confirmed cases. ___JOHANNESBURG South Africa has surpassed the UK in its number of confirmed coronavirus cases. ___ATHENS, Greece The Greece government has ruled out a new lockdown after a rise in reported coronavirus infections since opening its borders.

The head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the lead federal agency on nursing homes, defended the administration's record. Statistics reported by nursing homes to the federal government as of June 14 show nearly 30,800 residents have died, according to an AP analysis. An AP count that includes nursing homes and other long-term care facilities finds nearly 52,500 deaths, combining residents and staff. Verma said CMS tried to help by changing its rules to allow labs to go into nursing homes and collect samples. CMS has impaneled a 25-member commission to analyze what happened in nursing homes and make recommendations to better protect elderly and frail residents.

WASHINGTON Blacks were nearly four times more likely than whites to be hospitalized with COVID-19 among people with Medicare, the government said Monday. From Jan. 1-May 16, more than 325,000 Medicare recipients were diagnosed with COVID-19, and nearly 110,000 were hospitalized, according to the analysis of claims data. Low-income Medicare recipients who are also covered by their state Medicaid programs had a hospitalization rate that was slightly higher than the rate for African Americans. There were fewer COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among Medicare recipients in rural areas, when compared to cities and suburbs. The Medicare data released Monday lack complete information about deaths, since they only record those who passed away in a hospital.

A grim blame game with partisan overtones is breaking out over COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents, a tiny slice of the population that represents a shockingly high proportion of Americans who have perished in the pandemic. Advocates for the elderly say the federal government hasnt provided needed virus testing and sufficient protective gear to allow nursing homes to operate safely. With more coronavirus legislation possible this year, congressional Democrats are pressing for a national testing plan and additional resources for nursing homes. She says states have money from the federal government that they can use to support testing of nursing home staff. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the third-ranking House Democrat and chairman of a special panel on the pandemic, says the crisis in nursing homes should not be a partisan issue.

(Leah Millis/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON Compounding the hardships of the coronavirus, some nursing homes have demanded that low-income residents turn over their $1,200 economic stimulus checks, a cash grab lawmakers want to halt. Low-income Medicaid recipients must not be coerced into wrongly handing over their checks for fear of being kicked out of their homes, wrote Neal and Pallone. We are not aware of widespread issues with resident stimulus funds," the American Health Care Association said in a statement. Generally, a Medicaid recipients taxable income is taken into account in determining their eligibility for the program. CMS chief Seema Verma tweeted on Tuesday that nursing homes engaging in this behavior will be subject to enforcement action.

Cemetery workers carry the coffin of Jorge Luis Collahua, during his burial in the section of Nueva Esperanza cemetery reserved for COVID-19 cases, in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, Monday, June 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)WELLINGTON Parisians returned to the City of Lights beloved sidewalk cafes as lockdown restrictions eased Tuesday, but health experts expressed deep concerns as several Latin American countries opted to reopen their economies despite a rapid rise in coronavirus cases. Its a start.But as Parisians reclaimed the rhythm of city life, health experts warned that virus cases are still rising in Latin America, the worlds latest COVID-19 epicenter. South Africas coronavirus cases jumped again to more than 35,000 as the country began easing its lockdown. They said poor and middle-income countries, which represent nearly 70% of the worlds population, need immediate action.

Monday's report will add to the national soul-searching about the disproportionately high toll of the virus in nursing homes. More than 60,000 people in nursing homes got sick as the coronavirus spread rapidly among frail residents. Nursing homes rated at 1 or 2 stars in the government's 5-star rating system fared worse. About 12,500 of some 15,400 nursing homes had reported as of May 24. Although the first wave of the pandemic may be easing in much of the country, that doesnt mean nursing homes are in any less danger.

Older adults who pick a drug plan offering the new insulin benefit would pay a maximum of $35 a month starting next year, a savings estimated at $446 annually. Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said 1,750 insurance plans that offer drug coverage to Medicare recipients have agreed to provide insulin for a maximum copay of $35 a month next year. Medicare's prescription drug benefit is offered by private insurers, either as a stand-alone Part D drug plan added to traditional Medicare, or as part of a managed care plan under Medicare Advantage. Medicare estimates that about 6 in 10 beneficiaries are already in prescription drug plans that will offer the new insulin benefit. The insulin benefit will be available in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

WASHINGTON Before COVID-19 killed thousands of nursing home residents, about 4 in 10 homes inspected were cited for infection control problems, according to a government watchdog report Wednesday that finds a persistent pattern of lapses. Nursing homes ended up bearing the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak. Data for that five-year period showed that 82% of nursing homes inspected, or 13,299, had at least one deficiency related to infection control and prevention. While about 40% of nursing homes nationwide were cited for infection control problems, the GAO found wide differences among states. The report also found that nonprofit nursing homes were somewhat less likely to be cited for persistent infection control problems.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services criteria for relaxing restrictions at nursing homes come more than two months after the agency ordered homes to ban visitors. We know that nursing homes have struggled, Seema Verma, head of CMS, told The Associated Press. Already, outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities have claimed more than 33,000 lives, more than a third of all coronavirus deaths in the U.S., according to a count by the AP. Once visits resume, family members and others should still wear face coverings and practice social distancing, CMS said. For weeks, nursing homes have been calling on local and federal officials for help accessing tests and personal protective equipment.

At least 35 residents or staff of Life Care have died from the virus, CMS said. "The coronavirus outbreak at Life Care was an unprecedented situation for the state of Washington," said Washington Department of Social & Health Services Secretary Cheryl Strange in a statement. At the Life Care Center, "inspectors found three "immediate jeopardy" situations, which are situations in which a patient's safety is placed in imminent danger," Medicare said. Given its findings, the CMS said it will enhance its inspection process for nursing homes and healthcare facilities to prevent the spread of the disease. To prevent further spread to the elderly, the Trump administration suspended visitations to all nursing homes across the U.S. except in certain cases, such as a resident dying, through an executive order.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Wednesday appealed to youth to do their part by heeding guidelines on self-isolation to blunt the coronavirus outbreak and warned that the White House may have to extend its action plan if 15 days proves insufficient. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the administration response, repeated the call for 15 days of concerted action but said the effects would likely linger until midsummer. Meanwhile, health officials were responding to reports that younger people across the country were defying official guidelines about staying home and avoiding large gatherings, increasing the risk of spreading the virus. Trump said he would hold a news conference related to the Food and Drug Administration and the coronavirus but gave no details. The White House task force daily news conference was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. (1630 GMT).

Lauren Feiner6:32 pm: Dow futures down 100 points as Wall Street's equity rout continues6:00 pm: NYC mayor pushes for 'shelter-in-place' order as coronavirus cases surge to almost 1,900New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he's pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo to approve a "shelter-in-place" order for the city as coronavirus cases surge to almost 1,900 across the five boroughs. "Because it comes from China," Trump told reporters. Christina Farr1:51 pm: The water in Venice, Italy's canals is running clear amid the COVID-19 lockdownThe COVID-19 pandemic has crippled Italy and is ricocheting its way around the globe. Olaaf Kraak | AFP | Getty ImagesMajor retailers across the U.S., including Macy's, Apple and Nike, are shutting down their stores or reducing hours in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Medicare drug plans cover about 46 million people aged 65 and older and with disabilities. While Medicare plans can offer a low copay on insulin now, the CMS program will remove a financial disincentive for them to do so, Evercore ISI analyst Michael Newshel said in a research note. About 1.2 million Medicare beneficiaries could benefit if they enroll in plans offering these copays, she said. The model would apply to a portion of Medicare plans that fall into the category of enhanced plans, which represents the majority of plans. Premiums for the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription plans that offer the set price for insulin could rise about $1 per month, Verma said.

President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House on October 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order Thursday making changes to the Medicare program to "protect" Americans from Democratic health-care proposals senior administration officials say would "destroy" coverage for seniors. The plan would also offer more affordable plan options, increase use of telehealth services and bring payments in Medicare fee-for-service program in line with payments for Medicare Advantage, officials said. "Medicare for All" isn't "just impractical but morally wrong," Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma said on the call. "I'm deeply concerned about proposals that eviscerate Medicare by indiscriminately stripping private health insurance."

President Donald Trump was set to announce an executive order Thursday aimed at making changes to the current Medicare program. He will speak at a Florida retirement community about his executive order titled, "Protecting Medicare from Socialist Destruction." The executive order will bolster Medicare Advantage, which provides private Medicare coverage for seniors. This will be the second executive order focused on health-care delivery, according to the Washington Post. Verma tweeted Wednesday, one day ahead of Trump's announcement, that CMS has been "working to strengthen and protect the Medicare program."

FILE PHOTO: A Gilead Sciences, Inc. office is shown in Foster City, California, U.S. May 1, 2018. REUTERS/Stephen Lam(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday said it has finalized a decision to cover expensive cancer cell therapies sold by Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O) and Novartis AG (NOVN.S). Both Gileads Yescarta and Novartis Kymriah were approved in 2017 for certain kinds of lymphoma and leukemia. More than half of lymphoma patients eligible for CAR-T therapy are estimated to be covered by Medicare. The agency said it will also cover the CAR-Ts for uses not approved in their labels, as long as they are recommended by CMS-approved medical guidelines.