Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

As part of the COVID-19 PHE declaration, the feds amended the PREP Act a fifth time.

While this latest update added more qualified healthcare professionals to the current list of providers able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to meet public demand, it also requires these providers to complete a CDC vaccine training program.

The CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination training provides healthcare professionals with a variety of tools to get up to speed on handling and administration, including videos with demonstrations, interactive web-based courses, skills assessments, guides, and extensive clinical and epidemiological reference materials. The program focuses on four areas: vaccine storage and handling; vaccine administration; communicating with patients about vaccines; and vaccine training and clinical materials.

Critical: Under the “COVID-19 Vaccine Training and Clinical Materials” section, the CDC breaks down training by individual vaccine with modules, various formats, and specific manufacturer and FDA advice. Right now, only data and education on the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available, but the CDC intends to update the materials as each new vaccine is authorized for administration, the training guide indicates.

Resource: Find the latest COVID-19 training details at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/COVID-19-Clinical-Training-and-Resources-for-HCPs.pdf.