Jeff Lagasse
AMA said the new recommendations are confusing and potentially risk further spread of the virus.
The deal will allow for increased access to behavioral healthcare at a time when many are struggling, Centene says.
Aside from COVID-19 tests, spending for all other tests as a group decreased by about $1.2 billion in 2020, a 15.9% dip from 2019.
The new option will help states integrate mobile crisis-intervention services into their Medicaid programs, administration says.
The agreement includes staffing and pay improvements and paves the way for nurses to return to work by the end of the month.
The protections ban surprise billing in private insurance for most emergency care and many instances of nonemergency care.
The agency has determined that the protective health benefits of a single booster dose of the Pfizer shot outweigh the potential risks.
The hospital advocacy group said patients will likely be caught unaware when coverage for emergency care is denied.
COVID-19 continued to affect the industry, which has plowed forward with expanded offerings, digital transformation and other bold moves.
Existing pre-pandemic racial and ethnic disparities in hospital mortality widened during the pandemic, research has found.