Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medical Facilities Roll Out Plans For 'Drive-Thru' Coronavirus Testing, But Kits Are Still In Short Supply
Modern Healthcare: Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing Launched By Hospitals In Parking Lots, Garages
As the number of U.S. COVID-19 cases expands, some healthcare providers are rolling out drive-through testing to help protect patients and healthcare workers from contracting the virus.Tenet Healthcare Corp. said Wednesday it's prepared to perform drive-up testing for COVID-19 where patients could get tested without leaving their cars. The Dallas-based hospital chain's CEO explained Wednesday at the virtual Barclays Global Healthcare Conference that the company has launched external triage centers at all of its 65 hospitals. (Bannow, 3/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing Arrives In Bay Area, But Supplies Remain Tight
Kaiser Permanente began “drive-through” testing for coronavirus in San Francisco on Wednesday, and public and private health care providers across the Bay Area also ramped up screening efforts, but no one knows how widespread the virus is, public health and infectious disease experts said. It’s impossible to say how many tests are done daily in the Bay Area, because counties and private providers aren’t making that information public, in part because of patient privacy concerns. (Ravani and Allday, 3/11)
The New York Times: As Coronavirus Testing Increases, Some Labs Fear A Shortage Of Other Supplies
Laboratories around the country are now facing potential shortages of key materials and chemicals needed to run tests for the novel coronavirus, as cases spread to more than two-thirds of the states and the global pandemic strains testing resources even further. Some lab directors say they are already beginning to run low of the supplies needed to extract RNA from nasal swabs, a crucial initial step that is separate from the millions of test kits that the federal government has promised to ship to every state. Others say they are weighing whether to borrow some materials from other research labs that aren’t involved in creating or running coronavirus tests. (Thomas, 3/11)
Los Angeles Times: Shortage Of Key Components Hampers Coronavirus Testing
The chemicals, or reagents, are used to extract genetic material from a nasal swab sample, among the first steps in the testing process. Demand for reagents has left a key supplier struggling to keep pace with orders from countries around the world. The new information provides a clearer picture of why testing shortages continue, even as state and federal officials last week insisted there were sufficient kits. (Karlmamangla and Baumgaertner, 3/11)
NBC News: Many Private Labs Want To Do Coronavirus Tests. But They're Still Facing Obstacles And Delays.
Even though the federal government has reassured the public that millions of tests for the coronavirus are on the way, many private laboratories in the U.S. still aren't able to conduct their own tests, in part because of a demanding government approval process, leading lab experts and industry groups say. One hospital lab says it could have performed thousands of tests by now. The delays — which have also been driven by a shortage of materials and lack of information from the federal government about how much labs will be reimbursed — have prolonged waiting times to diagnose infected patients while the virus has spread further, according to lab directors and public health experts. (Khimm, Strickler and Breslauer, 3/11)
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Testing Gets Big Push In New York
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said the state will begin contracting with private labs to greatly increase the number of people tested for the novel coronavirus. For weeks leading up to the first case of coronavirus, state and local officials urged the federal government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to open up testing capacity at several public labs, and to permit labs to do testing automatically instead of by hand. (West, 3/11)
Modern Healthcare: High-Deductible Plans May Waive Cost-Sharing For Coronavirus Tests
The IRS released guidance on Wednesday that confirms employers may waive out-of-pocket costs for coronavirus testing and treatment for workers enrolled in high-deductible health plans. Employers have been hesitant to eliminate cost-sharing for medical tests for COVID-19 for fear of running afoul of the law even as several states and dozens of private health insurers pledged affordable access to tests and treatment. The guidance is likely to allay employers' chief concerns. (Livingston, 3/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Testing: High-Deductible Health Plans Can Pay Full Cost, IRS Says
The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday that health insurers can voluntarily pay the full cost of coronavirus testing and treatment for participants in high-deductible health plans, even if the customer has not yet met the deductible. The IRS notice issued Wednesday also applies to self-funded plans, where the employer collects premiums and pays claims. Many employers hire insurance or other companies to administer these plans, so employees may not realize they are self-funded. (Pender, 3/11)
