The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is encouraging health care facilities to reopen for elective procedures and encouraging patients to seek needed care. Federal leaders and others have expressed concern people may be skipping preventive care and neglecting their chronic conditions to avoid visiting health care facilities. Reopening guidelines published by CMS in April note the timing for safely reinstituting suspended services should be determined in coordination with state and local public health officials. The current push to reopen comes as 14 states reported their highest seven-day average of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. (HealthLeaders Media story, 6/9/20)
