Modernization

Centers of Excellence Team With Another Health Agency Amid Pandemic

FDA became the fourth agency in 2020 to join the Centers of Excellence program; ninth overall.

Modernization

GSA to Partner with NIH in Centers of Excellence Initiative

One of the National Institutes of Health agencies will formulate and adopt a modernization strategy under the partnership.

Digital Government

House Lawmakers Press HHS Secretary for Details on Contact Tracing Programs

States are turning to smartphone apps and other digital tools that could compromise privacy, the lawmakers wrote. 

Emerging Tech

NIH, FDA and VA 3D-Printing Collaboration Turns to Ventilator Parts

So far, about a dozen designs for personal protective gear have gotten the OK for clinical use.

Digital Government

Lawmakers Push CDC for New Demographic Data on Coronavirus Patients

A group of 17 lawmakers asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect sex, race, ethnicity and other information to spot potential inequities in health care. 

Modernization

Mid-Pandemic, CDC Looks to Upgrade Its Biosurveillance Database

The system collects data from hospitals, local public health departments, pharmacies and more to give researchers and officials a view of how diseases spread across the country.

Digital Government

Justice, HHS Redistribute More than 500,000 Pieces of Protective Gear Seized from Hoarder

Emergency medical supplies peddled by price gougers were redistributed to front line medical personnel in New York and New Jersey.

Emerging Tech

FDA, NIH, VA Partner to Accelerate 3D-Printed Protective Gear for COVID-19 Response

The pandemic-driven outcomes could demonstrate what strategic interagency efforts around emerging technology can catalyze in rapid timeframes.

Modernization

CMS Further Expands Telehealth Services for Medicare Recipients

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will temporarily expand telehealth options, including for new patients and audio-only appointments.

Modernization

Lawmaker Pushes CMS to Include Telehealth Services Through Telephone

Medicare recipients must use video-conferencing for remote visits with care providers.

Digital Government

Georgia Man Charged for Operating Fraudulent COVID-19 Testing Scheme

Federal prosecutors said the alleged scheme involved billing Medicare for reimbursable medical tests regardless of whether they were medically necessary. 

Digital Government

Scammers Are Trying to Get Medicare Numbers, HHS Warns

The Health and Human Services Department warns that scammers are attempting to get real Medicare and Medicaid numbers to fraudulently bill the government. 

Modernization

Agencies Have Spent More Than $300M In Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak

Federal buyers spent more than $4.8 million on hand sanitizer alone in the last two months.

Artificial Intelligence

CDC Launches COVID-19 Bot to Help You Decide If You Need to See a Doctor

The Coronavirus Self-Checker, a Microsoft-powered health care tool, was built to alleviate some of the initial screening strains health care providers are experiencing.

Digital Government

CDC Demands Airlines Provide More Passenger Data During COVID-19 Outbreak

Airline officials that don’t comply with a new rule could face $500,000 fines and jail time.

Digital Government

Agencies Warn of Coronavirus-Related Scams  

The government is trying to curb scammers preying on the public’s fears.

Digital Government

NIH Uses Urgent Award Vehicle for the First Time to Address Coronavirus Outbreak

The agency is tapping a never-before-used emergency award vehicle to acquire predictive models for how the COVID-19 will spread. 

Digital Government

You Might Be Buying a Hand Sanitizer That Won’t Work for Coronavirus

Sanitizers that don’t contain the CDC’s recommended minimum of 60% alcohol are flying off store shelves and listed by sellers on Amazon for outrageous prices. Here is what you need to know.