Situation Report | May 10, 2021
The following are COVID-19 and vaccine briefs for May 10, 2021.
J&J Vaccine
The state Department of Health (DOH) has issued “Health Advisory: Recommendations to Resume Use of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine.”
It reiterates DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker’s recommendation on April 24, 2021 that New York State accept federal recommendations and resume Johnson & Johnson vaccinations effective immediately. It also provides background on cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) among Janssen vaccine recipients.
Monoclonal Antibody Infusions
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that it has increased the Medicare payment rate for administering monoclonal antibodies to treat beneficiaries with COVID-19.
Effective May 6, the national average payment rate will increase from $310 to $450 for most health care settings and $750 when monoclonal antibodies are administered in the beneficiary’s home, including the beneficiary’s permanent residence or temporary lodging.
HCA recently had discussions with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about the feasibility of administering monoclonal antibodies to individuals in their homes and started to gather information from members. One of the barriers identified was the low payment rate.