Consistent with recently-released guidance and data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is shortening the recommended quarantine period for the general public after exposure to an individual with COVID-19. In general, quarantine can be discontinued after Day 10 of quarantine without testing if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring, or after Day 7 of quarantine if a diagnostic specimen collected within 48 hours of the time of planned quarantine discontinuation tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring. Read more.

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is strongly recommending medical practices go through the process of registering to be a COVID-19 vaccinator, regardless of whether the intention is to vaccinate. Being enrolled will allow small practices to have the option to vaccinate their own staff once the vaccine becomes available. The process to enroll can take time, so it is important not to delay. DPH has updated their vaccine enrollment instructions for interested practices. Read Vaccine Enrollment Instructions. For answers to questions please email COVIDVaccine@delaware.gov.

Additional demographic data on COVID-19 cases and deaths, including race/ethnicity, more age-specific data and COVID rate information by ZIP code, and information on Delaware's contact tracing efforts can be found on the Division of Public Health's My Healthy Community data portal. 

Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro announced the release of the Office of Value-Based Health Care Delivery’s initial provisional Affordability Standards as part of a new report, Delaware Health Care Affordability Standards: An Integrated Approach to Improve Access, Quality and Value, which includes plans to more than double primary care spending in the commercial fully-insured market by 2025. The Affordability Standards also include decreasing price growth for certain health care services and expanding the use of payment models that aim to improve health care value. Read more.

Thank you to those that acted and contacted Senators Carper and Coons regarding the Surprise Medical Billing legislation. Congress passed a comprehensive omnibus spending package that funds the federal government through FY 2021, provides a new round of COVID relief and economic stimulus, and imposes new restrictions on surprise medical billing. MSD was actively engaged with the staff of Sen. Carper, Sen. Coons, and Congresswoman Blunt-Rochester to advocate for many of these important improvements.  The surprise billing provisions include several important improvements over a previous proposal, which include the following:

With respect to COVID relief, the legislation would ease the impact of Medicare fee schedule budget neutrality adjustments due to improved evaluation and management (E/M) office visit payment and coding rules, as well as an extension of the 2% Medicare sequester moratorium through March 2021. Read summary. To view a table estimating the impact of the Medicare payment changes (excluding the sequester moratorium extension) click here.

This year more than ever food banks across the country need help filling the shelves for those less fortunate. The Medical Society of Delaware has teamed up with the Food Bank of Delaware for a Virtual Food Drive. This holiday season, please consider donating - a single dollar provides three meals and you can give the hope of a holiday meal without leaving your home or office (aka social distancing done correctly!) To donate.