Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Alabama Teachers' Group Says Doctors Are Ignoring Quarantine Guidelines
AP: AEA: Doctors Letting Quarantined Kids Return Early To School
An organization for Alabama teachers is expressing concern that children are being allowed to return to school before completing required COVID-19 quarantine periods, potentially putting the health of students and school employees at risk. The Alabama Education Association sent a Thursday to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. The educator organization said they learned some doctors are writing excuses for students to return to school before mandated quarantine periods expired. (11/8)
AP: Indiana Seeks Retired Health Care Workers For COVID-19 Help
State officials are renewing their call for retired health care workers to help relieve staff in Indiana’s hospitals and long-term care facilities as the number of hospitalizations and new infections across the state continue to spike at record highs. Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said Wednesday that hospitals and healthcare workers in Indiana are swamped, “needing support now more than ever.” (11/7)
In other health industry news —
Modern Healthcare: FCC Opens Applications For Its $100M Telehealth Pilot
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday released plans to open applications for a $100 million pilot program to promote telehealth services. Applications for the FCC's Connected Care Pilot Program open Friday and will close Dec. 7. The Connected Care program will distribute up to $100 million over three years to not-for-profit and public healthcare providers to help defray broadband costs related to bringing telehealth to low-income Americans and veterans. The program will cover 85% of the cost of select services and network equipment, such as internet access for patients. (Cohen, 11/6)
Houston Chronicle: Telemedicine Moves From Niche Service Into Health Care Mainstream
Telemedicine, once regarded as a niche in medical care, has moved into the mainstream. Since the pandemic forced its widespread adoption during spring shutdowns, telemedicine has established itself as an vital tool for patients, particularly older ones and people with chronic illnesses that put them at high-risk of complications from COVID-19. The use of telemedicine is down from its peaks in the spring, when up to 90 percent of non-emergency visits were conducted virtually, but still far above prepandemic levels. At Kelsey-Seybold, 15 percent of visits as of early October were conducted over telemedicine, compared to less than 1 percent in October 2019. (Wu, 11/8)
FierceHealthcare: Healthcare Employment Up 58K In October But Recovery Remains Sluggish
The healthcare industry added 58,000 jobs in October but employment in the healthcare sector has cooled since this summer, according to the latest job numbers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report released on Friday showed some gains for hospitals and physician offices. But nursing and assisted living facilities continued to lose jobs, shedding 9,000 positions last month. (King, 11/6)
FierceHealthcare: CVS Health CEO Merlo To Retire, Aetna Chief Lynch Tapped As Successor
Larry Merlo, who has served as CEO of CVS Health for a decade, is stepping down from the role in February. CVS announced the news alongside its third-quarter earnings Friday morning. Karen Lynch, who is currently the president of the Aetna business segment, will take over as CEO effective Feb. 1. (Minemyer, 11/6)
Stat: A Public Scorecard Can Help Hold Safety-Net Providers Accountable
California regulators announced last month plans to evaluate whether safety-net patients face improperly long waits to see medical specialists in Los Angeles County, the nation’s second-largest public health system. That investigation — which aims to determine whether these wait times violate managed-care standards — raises fundamental questions about the quality of care for safety-net patients nationwide, in the midst of a pandemic that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable people. (Hochman and Levander, 11/6)
The Washington Post: Anti-Racist Education Sought In Medical Schools
Faculty members and student activists around the country have long called for medical schools to increase the number of students and instructors from underrepresented backgrounds to improve treatment and build inclusivity. But to identify racism’s roots and its effects in the health system, they say, fundamental changes must be made in medical school curriculums. (Lawrence, 11/8)
