Federal Government Will Send Point-of-Care COVID-19 Testing Units, Kits to All Nursing Homes in U.S.

Federal Government Will Send Point-of-Care COVID-19 Testing Units, Kits to All Nursing Homes in U.S.

The federal government on Tuesday announced that it would send point-of-care testing supplies for COVID-19 to all skilled nursing facilities in the country, starting next week, according to Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.  Read full article here, including Katie Smith Sloan’s comments from LeadingAge.

LeadingAge WA has reached out to Dept of Health and Residential Care Services regarding the updated information that finds that Washington State Nursing Homes do not qualify for and will not receive the machines.  Apparently, there is some discrepancy or confusion regarding the state’s CLIA waiver and whether CMS will recognize our waiver.  As you know, the CLIA waiver issued in WA state is issued by DOH and it does include the COVID test.  Both RCS and DOH are working with CMS to resolve this matter so WA state SNFs are eligible to receive the COVID test machines.  We will keep you updated on what we learn.

 

Questions?

Contact:

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804

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