The Hill (4/3, Chalfant) reported the Trump Administration announced “the federal government will reimburse hospitals treating uninsured patients for the novel coronavirus.” President Trump said the funding will be provided by the economic relief package passed by Congress last month.

Related Links:

— “Administration says it will reimburse hospitals for treating uninsured coronavirus patients, ” Morgan Chalfan, The Hill, April 3, 2020

Psych News Alert (4/3) reported “inpatient psychiatric units all over the country are grappling with the need to continue treating patients in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.” The “APA and the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare hosted a webinar” on Wednesday “with the leaders of three inpatient facilities so they could share their experiences so far.” The speakers emphasized “the importance of addressing COVID-19 in health systems in a way that does not limit people’s access to behavioral health care.”

Related Links:

— “Speakers Share Insights on Inpatient Psychiatric Care During COVID-19 Pandemic, Psych News Alert, April 3, 2020

USA Today (4/2, Stanglin) reports that as of Thursday, there are more than 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world. However, the number was probably reached earlier, because of untested cases including “asymptomatic individuals; people who may have died of complications of the virus without anyone knowing it; and those whose symptoms were not serious enough to qualify for testing.”

The Hill (4/2, Klar) reports that the US “has more than 235,000 cases and 5,600 deaths,” while “Italy and Spain follow with more than 115,000 and 110,000 cases, respectively, and over 24,000 deaths between them.” Meanwhile, China has “reported more than 82,000 cases and 3,300 deaths from the virus, though U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly concluded that Beijing has underreported both the total number of cases and confirmed deaths.”

Newsweek (4/2, Kim) reports that in the US, “New York continues to report the country’s highest number of cases, with more than 83,700 confirmed infections to date, including 47,439 cases in New York City, the office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed as of Wednesday.”

Related Links:

— “There are 1 million coronavirus cases worldwide. But there are probably many more people who have the disease., “Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY, April 2, 2020

Psychiatric News (3/25) reports that “In a letter…APA again urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow psychiatrists to provide psychiatric services to Medicare and Medicaid patients via the telephone without requiring a video component and to reimburse those services the same as an in-person visit.” In a news release about the letter, APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D., said, “Even if we can’t physically see our patients, we can provide medication management and psychotherapy.”

Related Links:

— “Five Strategies to Protect Patients, Staff in Psychiatric Inpatient Units From COVID-19, Psychiatric News, March 25, 2020

The Washington Post (4/2, Achenbach) reports that almost half of the people in the US “feel the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health, according to a survey” by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The article says that 45% of respondents reported that their mental health has been affected, and 19% reported it has a “major impact.” Joshua Morganstein, the chair of the APA’s Committee on the Psychiatric Dimensions of Disaster, said that it’s understandable people are feeling stressed during this time. He remarked, “It’s also important to remember that the vast majority of people, including all of us who are experiencing difficulties along the way, will ultimately do well. Finding and sharing creative solutions to the problems people are facing, taking care of ourselves and our families in the best way we are able, and staying connected to one another will remind us we are in this together and help us get through this difficult time.”

Related Links:

— “Coronavirus is harming the mental health of tens of millions of people in U.S., new poll finds, “Joel Achenbach, The Washington Post, April ,2 2020