FAST STATS
New data from the World Health Organization reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted malaria services, leading to a marked increase in cases and deaths.
malaria cases worldwide in 2020, about 14 million more cases compared to 2019.
malaria deaths worldwide in 2020, an increase of 69,000 since 2019.
241 MILLION 627,000 66%
of these additional deaths (47,000) were linked to disruptions in the provision of
malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment during the pandemic.
of malaria cases came from Sub-Saharan Africa in 2020.
of malaria deaths in 2020 came from Sub- Saharan Africa.
of deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa are children under 5.
95% 96% 80% 72%
of insecticide-treated mosquito nets had been distributed in malaria-endemic countries as planned by the end of 2020.
15
countries with a high burden of malaria reported reductions in malaria testing of more than 20% in April-June 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
https://www.who.int/news/item/06-12-2021-more-malaria- cases-and-deaths-in-2020-linked-to-covid-19-disruptions
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NEWSWIRE
HHS study shows 63-fold increase in Medicare telehealth utilization during the pandemic A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that massive increases in the use of telehealth helped maintain some healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic, with specialists like behavioral health pro- viders seeing the highest telehealth utiliza- tion relative to other providers. The report, which was produced by researchers in HHSs Offi ce of the Assis- tant Secretary for Planning and Evalua- tion (ASPE) and analyzes Medicare fee for service (FFS) data in 2019 and 2020, also highlights that telehealth services were accessed more in urban areas than rural communities, and Black Medicare benefi ciaries were less likely than White benefi ciaries to utilize telehealth. To help beneficiaries maintain some access to care amid stay-at-home orders to reduce COVID-19 related exposure, CMS used emergency waiver authorities enacted by Congress, as well as existing regulatory authorities to implement policies expand- ing access to telehealth services during the pandemic. These included waiving several statutory limitations such as geographic restrictions and allowing benefi ciaries to receive telehealth in their home. Outside of the public health emergency (PHE), Medicare is generally restricted to payment for telehealth services in certain, mostly rural areas, and when benefi ciaries leave their home and go to a clinic, hospi- tal, or other type of medical facility for the service. There were some exceptions for benefi ciaries with end-stage renal disease, stroke and other specifi c conditions. Addi- tionally, in response to the pandemic, the HHS Offi ce for Civil Rights relaxed enforce- ment of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 pri- vacy requirements for videoconferencing. Taken as a whole, the ASPE report found that the share of Medicare visits conducted through telehealth in 2020 increased 63-fold, from approximately 840,000 in 2019 to 52.7 million. States with the highest use of telehealth in 2020 included Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, ew Hampshire and Connecticut. States with the lowest use of telehealth in 2020 included Tennes- see, ebraska, ansas, orth Dakota and Wyoming. The report also found insightful trends on
the kinds of services edicare benefi ciaries sought through telehealth. While overall healthcare visits for edicare benefi ciaries declined in 2020 as compared to 2019, tele- health was particularly helpful in offsetting potential foregone behavioral healthcare. In
January 2022 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
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2020, telehealth visits comprised a third of total visits to behavioral health specialists, compared to 8 percent of visits to primary care providers and 3 percent of visits to other specialists. These findings promi- nently show an increased interest in seeking behavioral healthcare through telehealth. To help protect access to care as informed by data, CMS recently announced that for the first time outside of the COVID-19 PHE, Medicare will pay for mental health visits furnished by Rural Health Clinics and Federally ualifi ed Health Centers via interactive video-based telehealth, includ- ing audio-only telephone calls. Additionally, CMS is permanently elimi-
nating geographic barriers and allowing patients in their homes to access telehealth services for diagnosis, evaluation, and treat- ment of mental health disorders, including via audio-only communications technol- ogy. These provisions were included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Other Medicare services added to the telehealth services list temporarily dur- ing the PHE will remain in place through December 31, 2023, while CMS continues to evaluate whether these services should be permanently added to the Medicare telehealth services list. And to provide more transparency and visibility into telemedi- cine usage, CMS is also releasing a new snapshot showing the number of people with Medicare who utilized telemedicine services between March 1, 2020 and Febru- ary 28, 2021. The snapshot includes Medi- care FFS claims data, Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data, and Medicare enroll- ment information.
2022 McKenna Health Policy Lecture with Raquel Bono on Lessons in Readiness The cenna Health Policy ecture Advi- sory Committee is pleased to announce that Raquel ono, D., A, FACS and Vice Admiral of the United States avy edical Corps (Ret.) will deliver the 0 cenna Health Policy ecture, In this era of COVID-19, readiness, across all sectors, especially healthcare, is critical. With another pandemic anticipated within the next decade, going back to the “old normal” is not an option. Dr. Bono successfully consolidated the respective military health services under the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and led its readi- ness work. Anyone involved or interested in healthcare and emergency prepared- ness, especially involving collaboration by competitive providers of care, will fi nd her remarks informative and fascinating, as Dr. Bono illuminates opportunities for the civilian healthcare system, grounded in
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