COVID-19 Email Update - July 30, 2020

A Message From Dr. Rebecca Wartman, NCOS Third Party Liaison

July 29, 2020 DHHS Coalition Call 

Yesterday's call was a review of the CHAMP (Community High Priority And Marginalized Population) initiative designed to address the needs of this population given that they have been so hard hit with COVID-19 infections, complications and deaths here in NC, the USA, and the world. The program targeted 100 zip codes in NC with a set of standards to ensure the populations in need were included. This program will test any patient who presents. The initial 3 week results show a need to target an even larger number of the LatinX population (next round of criteria) but met the goal of many in the other at risk populations. 

The CHAMP program is designed to ensure these populations have access to no-cost testing at sites throughout NC deemed high risk who met the screening criteria developed. Part of the CHAMP initiative requires that patients getting tested be linked with a primary care doctor, all testing sites provide appropriate bilingual speakers, ensure reporting of race and ethnicity, provide very timely test results and provide masks where needed. The contracts were awarded to three different groups. This program is being tightly monitored using various tools including "secret shoppers" to ensure compliance. 

Also discussed on the call was the state plan to address any surges in COVID-19 regarding hospital and resource capacity. This plan has three escalating stages in the event that our COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations stress the system. Currently, NC still has PPE capacity, hospital bed capacity and ventilators available. 

To date, NC has received around $14 billion dollars total from all sources including $3.5 billion to the state and another $500 million directly to Guilford County, Wake County, Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte. The allocations for these monies was discussed in detail along with any safeguards that have been put into place to ensure proper use.



The final topic was the state of and acquisition of federal funds for our rural hospitals which are suffering even worse during the era of COVID-19. To date, there has been 12 rural hospitals close in NC and it's predicted to be worse than in 2019. In fact, NC has one of the highest number of at risk rural hospitals.



July 30, 2020 COVID-19 Numbers 

  1. Sobering statistic: 1,400 deaths a day in US is about 1 death per minute
  2. Approximately 3 percent of Americans moved permanently or temporarily because of the pandemic, and 6 percent had someone move into their household with some families experiencing more than one relocation event
  3. The U.S. economy contracted by 9.5 percent in the second quarter - a record decline and the latest sobering reflection of the pandemic's economic devastation

In NC as of July 30, 2020 at 11:35 am the NC DHHS reports the following:

  • 120,194 cases confirmed in laboratory total
  • 2,344 new cases (July 29, 2020)
  • 1,903 deaths total
  • 1,239 in hospitals
  • 30,517 tests performed

CMS Updates Data on COVID-19 Impacts on Medicare Beneficiaries 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today released its first monthly update of data that provides a snapshot of the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicare population. For the first time, the snapshot includes data for American Indian/Alaskan Native Medicare beneficiaries. The new data indicated that American Indian/Alaskan Native beneficiaries have the second highest rate of hospitalization for COVID-19 among racial/ethnic groups after Blacks. Previously, the number of hospitalizations of American Indian/Alaskan Native beneficiaries was too low to be reported. 

The updated data confirms that the COVID-19 public health emergency is disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities. This is due, in part, to the higher rates of chronic health conditions in these populations and issues related to the social determinants of health. 

In response to the first Medicare data snapshot and related call to action from CMS Administrator Seema Verma on June 22, the CMS Office of Minority Health hosted three listening sessions with stakeholders who serve and represent racial and ethnic minority Medicare beneficiaries. These sessions provided helpful insight into ways in which CMS can address social risks and other barriers to health care that will help in our efforts to reduce health disparities. 

The updated data on COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries covers the period from January 1 to June 20, 2020. It is based on Medicare claims and encounter data CMS received by July 17, 2020. Other key data points:

  • Black beneficiaries continue to be hospitalized at higher rates than other racial and ethnic groups, with 670 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries.
  • Beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid - who often suffer from multiple chronic conditions and have low incomes - were hospitalized at a rate more than 4.5 times higher than beneficiaries with Medicare (only 719 versus 153 per 100,000).
  • Beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) continue to be hospitalized at higher rates than other segments of the Medicare population, with 1,911 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries, compared with 241 per 100,000 for aged and 226 per 100,000 for disabled.
  • CMS paid $2.8 billion in Medicare fee-for-service claims for COVID-related hospitalizations, or an average of $25,255 per beneficiary.

For more information on the Medicare COVID-19 data, click here

For an FAQ on this data release, click here

Which Masks Work the Best: Films of Each Mask Function

If you are unsure which mask type is the most effective, this may help. The research has videos demonstrating the results. These videos show that surgical masks are the best followed by multilayered cloth masks.

Click here for more information.


Professional Liability Insurance for Telehealth

If you offer vision telehealth services within your practice, it's important to ensure that your malpractice insurance covers you for these services. Now's the time to review your policy with your insurance provider to confirm you're covered for the vision telehealth services you plan to offer patients. 

Three important questions you should ask your insurance provider if you are providing vision telehealth services are: 

  1. Ask your insurance provider if vision telehealth services are covered by your policy. It is possible that your policy does not have specific language regarding coverage for vision telehealth, but that doesn't mean that vision telehealth is not covered under your policy.
  2. Ask your insurance provider how your policy would cover you for vision telehealth services. Ask your insurance provider to review the policy exclusions and endorsements with you to ensure there is no language limiting or omitting vision telehealth services.
  3. Ask your insurance provider if you are covered for the full scope of coverage defined by the state in which you practice. If your state's scope of practice includes guidelines for utilizing telehealth technologies to provide patient care, then it is covered in your policy.

Members can receive a complimentary review of their malpractice insurance policy at any time. Learn more about malpractice insurance and additional solutions to protect your practice.


FDA Updates on Hand Sanitizers with Methanol 

The FDA expanded their list of potentially deadly hand sanitizers to 87 different products containing methanol. 

Click here to view the complete list.


States with Fewest COVID Restrictions and CDC Death Rate Predictions 

Wallet Hub did a study of COVID-19 state restrictions. North Carolina ranks number 7 of the states with the most restrictions in place (meaning there are 44 other states with less COVID-19 restrictions). However, North Carolina is also one of the places of concern and being closely watched to become an even worse outbreak. 

The CDC included NC in the list of states where COVID-19 deaths are expected to accelerate over the next four weeks compared with the past four weeks. This list now includes Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah.

Click here for more information.



COVID-19 Accelerated/Advance Payment (AAP) Repayment FAQ 

AAP FAQ were created to help providers understand the process and options of repaying accelerated/advance payments (AAPs) issued for COVID-19. Please review this information and share it with your staff. 

Dr. Rebecca Wartman Comment: Rumor has it that an extension for repayment may be in the next stimulus being discussed in Congress. Perhaps moving the repayment date without interest to December 30, 2020 or even converting these loans to grant status. BUT we will have to wait and see what comes out in the end.


CDC COVID-19 Response Health Equity Strategy

The CDC has released a plan to address health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This strategy includes: 

  1. Expanding the evidence base
  2. Expand programs and practices for testing, contact tracing, isolation, healthcare, and recovery from the impact of unintended negative consequences of mitigation strategies in order to reach populations that have been put at increased risk
  3. Expand program and practice activities to support essential and frontline workers to prevent transmission of COVID-19
  4. Expand an inclusive workforce equipped to assess and address the needs of an increasingly diverse U.S. population

Click here to read the CDC's health equity strategy.

Click here for more information.


HHS Telemedicine Hack: A 10-Week Learning Community to Accelerate Telemedicine Implementation for Ambulatory Providers

Dr. Rebecca Wartman Comment: Telehealth is still important! Telehealth should still be a part of your practice even as patients return to your physical practice. Going forward, the NCOS encourages you to use telehealth as appropriate. The NCOS is fighting to ensure optometry continues to have full access to these tools even post pandemic. 

To that end, CMS has launched a 10 week series into the use of telehealth. I attended the second in this series on July 29, 2020 and it was interesting. The topics for each date are listed in the flyer below. Even though this series started last week, you can still join.

Dates: Wednesdays, July 22 - September 23, 2020
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM ET

Click here to register!

Click here to view the flyer.

Click here to view the July 22 session.


Dogs to Detect Coronavirus, Study Report 

"Dogs can sniff out people infected with coronavirus, according to a report published by the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover Foundation. 1  During the study with eight specialized dogs, the canines were able to distinguish between the infected and non-infected with an average 83% sensitivity, the detection of positive samples, and an average 96% specificity, the detection of negative control samples." 

Click here to read the study.

Dr. Rebecca Wartman Comment: The original report referenced can be found here. Who knows, dogs might be a way to get back some semblance of normal in the near future. 


Finally Something to Brighten Your Day - Dr. Rebecca Wartman

  1. The week's best photojournalism - click here
  2. Dr. Fauci and Baseball Topps Baseball Card Company has published a limited edition of a card featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci pitching the first ball during last week's Washington Nationals season opener. Topps Now reports the Fauci card in the bestselling limited- edition card in the company's history and has already sold 51,512 cards. Apparently the pitch was a bit less than stellar, but you can view it here.

New Resources

Renewal of Determination That A Public Health Emergency Exists

Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Unsolicited Seeds from China or Other Foreign Address

COVID-19 Predictions:
Record Numbers of Coronavirus Cases in Every Global Region
When Will Coronavirus Cases Peak? It's Getting Harder for Experts to Predict

The Eyes Offer Conjunctival Clue to COVID-19

Estimation of Excess Deaths Associated With the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States, March to May 2020

Illness-Related Work Absence in Mid-April Was Highest on Record

Better HHS Planning Needed for National Disaster Medical System

NIH Launches Platform to Serve as Depository for COVID-19 Medical Data

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Asymptomatic Health Care Workers in the Greater Houston, Texas, Area

Outcomes of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients Recently Recovered From Coronavirus Disease 2019

New Study Explores How Coronavirus Travels Indoors

Registration and Reregistration Fees for Controlled Substance and List I Chemical Registrants

Association Between Statewide School Closure and COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in the US 


NCOS COVID-19 Updates & Resources Page

Click here!


COVID-19 Statistics

NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard

Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

WorldoMeter Coronavirus Website