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​COVID-19 

​Pediatric Provider Resources & Information
This page was last updated on December 3, 2021
Pennsylvania COVID-19 Cases: 
  • There were 97,072 new cases in Pennsylvania since our last update on 11/19 bringing the total case count to 1,763,796 (includes confirmed and probable cases) in all 67 counties in PA. Statewide percent positivity for the week of Nov. 19 - 25 stood at 12.1%--an increase from 10.3%, recorded Nov. 5 - 11. View a breakdown of cases by region, county, gender, ethnicity, etc. here.
  • "Everyone ages 18 and older should get a [COVID-19] booster shot," says CDC officials as Pfizer, supercharged by the Omicron variant, seeks FDA approval to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to receive booster shots. Read more here.
  • As predicted, the Omicron variant has surfaced in the U.S. The efficacy of the vaccine in preventing the spread of and illness from Omicron remains to be seen. Learn more here.
  • The PA AAP and PAIC adapted our parent guide on the COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11 y/o for Spanish-speaking parents, see here.
  • The White House will launch initiatives to assist in vaccinating more children against COVID-19, including dedicating federal funding to vaccine counseling for children from low-income families. Learn more here.
  • Until last week, the number of adults reportedly vaccinated against COVID-19 in Pennsylvania was incorrect--an overshot of the actual total. Current reports reflect an accurate count. Read more here.
  • The FDA advisory panel "narrowly endorses Merck's oral COVID treatment pill." Learn more here. 

Pennsylvania clinicians are asked to report any suspected cases immediately by calling the Pa. Department of Health at 1-877PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) or your local health department.

Below is PA AAP’s compilation of resource materials on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak. This collection of links and resources for pediatric health care providers is updated on a weekly basis. 


​PA AAP Weekly COVID-19 Updates

PA AAP compiles weekly news, updates and resources on COVID-19 to be shared with members in an e-Newsletter. Below you will find the archived weekly COVID-19 updates. Resources in the newsletters are available in the resource sections below. To subscribe to the weekly updates, please reach out to info@paaap.org. 
Testing
Reimbursement and Telemedicine

Reimbursement ​
​Links to telemedicine policies for Pennsylvania insurers below*: *Important Note: Please keep in mind that insurers are making updates to policies frequently as they respond to COVID-19. We encourage you to contact the insurers you work with directly with any questions you have regarding their telemedicine policies.

Telehealth

The use of telehealth is rapidly expanding in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Starting March 1, 2020 and for the duration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, Medicare will make payment for services furnished to beneficiaries in all areas of the country in all settings. Many other health insurers have also updated their telemedicine policies in response to the crisis.

Further Expansion of Telehealth in Medicare, Including an Increase in Payments for Telephone Visits Retroactive to March 1: On April 30, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a further expansion of telehealth in Medicare. CMS previously announced that Medicare would pay for certain services conducted by audio-only telephone between beneficiaries and their doctors and other clinicians. Now, CMS is broadening that list to include many behavioral health and patient education services. CMS is also increasing payments for these telephone visits to match payments for similar office and outpatient visits. This would increase payments for these services from a range of about $14-$41 to about $46-$110. The payments are retroactive to March 1, 2020. Get details on all the changes announced on April 30 here.

​Additionally, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will waive penalties for HIPAA violations against health care providers that serve patients in good faith through everyday communications technologies, such as FaceTime or Skype, during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency. Note that OCR also offers guidance for providers on civil rights protections during the COVID-19 pandemic here.

AAP
AAP Guidance: Telehealth Payer Policy in Response to COVID-19
State Notices on Telehealth Policy.
Coding for Telemedicine
Implementing Telemedicine into Practice and After Hours

Selecting a Telemedicine Vendor
PA AAP is working with the National AAP and members across the state to compile telemedicine resources. 
  • Telemedicine vendor options- a document providing a comparison of a few telehealth platforms developed by Dr. David Wolfson, Medical Director - Children's Community Pediatrics, Pittsburgh, PA. We will keep this list updated as the information continues to evolve.
  • Evaluating telemedicine vendors
Pennsylvania physicians and practices can also get resources as well as technical assistance through the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC). Visit matrc.org to learn more.
Additional Telemedicine Resources and Information


​Telemedicine Webinars

 "Implementing Telemedicine in Pediatric Practice" Posted 3/25/20

In this webinar, our panel addresses telehealth basics including how to get started using telehealth in your practice, technology considerations necessary for implementing a telehealth platform, and what you need to know in order to get paid for telehealth visits (billing and coding specifications). 



Presenters: 
Kristin Ray, MD: Director of Health Systems Improvements, Children's Community Pediatrics, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Bonnie Offit, MD, FAAP: Clinical Advisor in Digital Health, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, General Pediatrician, CHOP Care Network

Chip Hart: Director of Primary Care Collaborative Pediatric Solutions, Primary Care Collaborative Pediatric EHR Solutions

Recording
Telemedicine Q&A Handout
AAP Telehealth and COVID-19 Webinar Posted 3/25/20
This webinar by Sue Kressly, MD, FAAP offers guidance on how to launch telehealth into practice during COVID-19.
View Recording
PPE Guidance and infromation
PA Department of Health/CDC
Find all of the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 resources using the links below:

​
Non-Emergent Surgeries & Procedures
 Health Alert Network Updates
Many of your questions will be answered as they become available through the Health Alert Network’s below. The HAN updates will be sent to your email in real time and take a very short time to sign up for. All health care professionals are strongly encouraged to sign up for these notices.
Licensing Waivers and Suspensions
Federal Regulatory Updates Pennsylvania Licensure & Regulatory Updates in Response to COVID-19
Below find summaries of the actions that Pennsylvania has taken concerning health practitioner licensure requirements during the COVID-19 emergency: Find a complete list of licensure suspensions announced by the Pennsylvania Department of State here.


Licensure/Regulatory Action Taken in Other States
The Federation of State Medical Boards offers a a list of actions that states (including states that share a border with Pennsylvania) have taken action on licensure requirements. View List      
Business Resources and Loan Information
​CARES Act Provider Relief
The bipartisan CARES Act provides $100 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other health care providers. Beginning April 10, 2020, $30 billion was distributed with payments arriving via direct deposit. All facilities and providers that received Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements in 2019 are eligible for this initial distribution. The CARES Act provider relief funds are payments, not loans, to health care providers, and will not need to be repaid. 

Distribution of the remaining $20 billion of the general distribution to providers began on April 24. A portion of providers will automatically be sent an advance payment based off the revenue data they submit in CMS cost reports. Providers without adequate cost report data on file were required to submit their revenue information. Get details on all CARES Act provider relief funding at hhs.gov/providerrelief and check out the updates below:
  • Reporting Requirements: Those who received one or more CARES Act Provider Relief Fund payments exceeding $10,000 in total are required to report spending information. HHS has shared a notice on the reporting requirements. HHS says a reporting system will be available on Oct. 1. Read HHS’ notice.

  • AMA Update on CARES Act Relief Funding: On June 26, the AMA reported an issue with the drafting of the CARES Act bill that, if left unaddressed, could mean that entities who received relief funds would be required to pay taxes on those funds. The AMA has joined other organizations in asking Congress to correct this error. Find out more in this AMA article.

Pennsylvania Guidance for Businesses Business Resources & Loan Opportunities

OSHA Guidance for Businesses
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers guidance on how to maintain operations in a pandemic. View OSHA Guidance.
Education
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education has compiled a list of coronavirus education resources that can help clinicians respond.
Resources for your office
  
CDC Handouts and PostersCDC Videos
Resources for patients
Share the Facts, Stop Fear (CDC)
CDC Handouts and Posters CDC Videos
​More Informa​​tion on COVID-19:

PA AAP  COVID-19 Webinars
​

PA AAP offers weekly CME webinars to members on important topics and updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. Recordings from this series can be viewed here. 

UPCOMING WEBINAR
Details TBD

LATEST WEBINAR

Continuing to Support Mental Health During COVID-19
Presenters:
Justin Schreiber, DO, MPH, FAAP- Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC
Session Learning Objectives:
As a result of participation in this activity, participants will be able to:
  • Describe psychological and physiological impact of stress due to COVID19
  • Identify signs and symptoms of increased stress response
  • Describe stress coping mechanisms and guidance to provide families during COVID19
View Recording

PA AAP #CallYourPediatrician Well Child and Immunization Campaign

With national data showing immunization rates for all ages dipping to dangerously low levels, today the American Academy of Pediatrics is launching a campaign urging parents to call their pediatricians to schedule check-ups and vaccines for children of all ages. 
LEARN MORE

"The Bed Warriors"

When the bed warriors' defenses are strong...
#CallYourPediatrician

COVID-19 To-Do's

Let your Pediatrician take ‘em off your hands for 20 minutes.  Don’t skip vaccines or checkups, or ignore concerns about your child’s health. Pediatricians are offering options like telehealth and have implemented strict safety measures.  
​#CallYourPediatrician

"Mini Picasso"

When your mini Picasso's masterpiece is a Picass-no...
​#CallYourPediatrician
​From AAP:
Visit the COVID-19 web page on AAP.org to find updated resources such as clinical guidance, practice management resources, including tele-health and coding, educational resources for clinicians and families, data reports, a discussion board, and details on AAP advocacy efforts. For questions or comments related to the pandemic, email COVID-19@aap.org.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association Weekly Report- 77,073 new child cases reported from 9/24-10/8 (608,718 to 685,791), a 13% increase in child cases over 2 weeks. Learn more
​
AAP Resources
  • Special Amazon Business Account Available for Members -AAP has partnered with Amazon to offer a special business account so AAP members can purchase PPE quickly and easily. Members will get premier access to Amazon’s wide product selection, competitive prices, and special access to COVID-19 supplies. In addition, members receive free shipping on orders over $25. Find more information here.

AAP Updated Clinical Guidance


AAP News
  • Study: Working in child care not linked to COVID-19 risk early in pandemic by Melissa Jenco, News Content Editor on October 14, 2020 Read more
  • How to handle requests for medical clearance, mask exemptions during COVID-19 by James P. Scibilia, M.D., FAAP on October 9, 2020 Read more

AAP Flu Guidance & Resources
  • A new web page, Preparing for Flu Season, is now available. The page provides information and resources to help practices maximize influenza vaccination rates while keeping patients, families, and practice teams safe during the pandemic and includes a link to a recording of the Preparing Your Practice for the 2020-21 Influenza Season: A Virtual Townhall webinar. 

New Resources for Families on Healthychildren.org

Interactive Town Hall Series on COVID-19- The AAP now hosts a bi-weekly series of virtual town halls linking members with leading experts to discuss emerging issues related to caring for patients and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Session #: October 22, 2020 at 7:00 pm CT COVID-19 Town Hall Session: COVID-19 and Kids – What’s the Latest? Join us for our next COVID-19 Town Hall session on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 7:00 pm CT. Get answers to your burning questions about COVID-19 in kids from AAP members with infectious disease, public health, and primary care expertise. Participants are encouraged to submit questions when they register, as well as during the live event.
  • Register here.

COVID-19 Resources On This Site: 

Breastfeeding
Food Insecurity
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