Health and Medicine
Virginia is starting to administer the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine – including 8,000 people receiving doses this weekend at the Berglund Center. But some pro-life activists and faith leaders are expressing moral concerns; the Johnson and Johnson vaccine differs from Moderna and Pfizer in how it was created, in part using cell lines derived from an aborted fetus. The vaccine itself has no such material, but the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops urges Catholics to get one of the other vaccines if they have that option. At the same time, the conference stops short of urging anyone to refuse the vaccine when the opportunity arises to get one. Locally, pro-life activist Al Bedrosian shares similar concerns, saying the Johnson and Johnson vaccines are tainted by their connection to abortion. Health officials say in Virginia, you may decline a vaccine for any reason, and you will be kept on the list for future appointments. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:
State health officials say 91,000 more Virginians will be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by this time next week when they receive the single-dose Johnson & Johnson doses. 8,000 of them are set for a mass clinic this weekend in Roanoke, and they will go primarily to Phase 1b recipients ages 18-64 with underlying health conditions who have preregistered with the Virginia Department of Health. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
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NEWS RELEASE: (ROANOKE, VA) — The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD) and Carilion Clinic will hold an 8,000-dose COVID-19 clinic using Johnson & Johnson vaccine, expanding appointments to more eligible Phase 1b residents this weekend, March 6-7. To support one of our region’s largest vaccination efforts to date, the Commonwealth has also dispatched 26 members from the Virginia National Guard to support logistical efforts.
“The goal of this event is to vaccinate 8,000 individuals currently eligible under the Phase 1b guidelines,” said Dr. Cynthia Morrow, health director of Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. “This clinic will offer a crucial kick-off to reach a substantial number of all those eligible under Phase 1b who have expressed interest in being vaccinated. While we intend to continue to target vaccination appointments to those over the age of 65, the authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine means that we have enough doses to expand appointment opportunities to an even larger segment of the RCAHD community.”
This clinic will primarily be targeted to Phase 1b-eligible RCAHD residents between the ages of 18-64 with an underlying medical condition. An email will be sent later this week to qualifying individuals who have signed up through the state website with more details inviting them to make an appointment, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. More clinics will be added in the future as supplies continue to increase.
“We’re excited to partner with VDH to offer expanded vaccine access,” said Chad Alvarez, senior director of Carilion Retail Pharmacy and the leader of Carilion’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. “While there’s still a long way to go, this is an important next step to get vaccines into the arms of everyone in our community.”
All people interested in receiving vaccine in the state of Virginia are encouraged to sign up on the pre-registration site at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling 1-877-VAX-IN-VA. All citizens are strongly urged to pre-register even if they are not currently eligible to receive vaccine now. With the expansion of doses coming in to the area, we may more quickly have supplies available to expand to additional populations. After pre-registering through the state site, individuals will be contacted when it is their turn to receive vaccine.
Virginia’s vaccine distribution coordinator says the arrival of Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 doses is going to help the state take a major step forward in administering greater number of shots — and doing so in a greater variety of settings. Doctor Danny Avula said this afternoon those J&J allotments should arrive in Virginia no later than tomorrow: 69,000 thousand doses for starters.
Avula says the first priority will be more mass clinics, and many local districts will conduct them in short order.
8,000 of these doses will be administered this weekend in Roanoke. Click here for the full story.
Dr. Noelle Bissell
While some are opting not to take the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine right now – concerned perhaps by reports of its lower efficacy rate – Dr. Noelle Bissell said today in the New River Health District others are waiting specifically for the J&J version. Bissell also said the lower efficacy numbers for the still-effective Johnson and Johnson vaccine may be skewed because its trial period took place when COVID variants started to appear – something not present when the Pfizer and Moderna versions were in their trial phase. As of today the New River Health District has its first 5000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on hand.
A new study finds that as of March first, Virginia had the greatest total number of COVID-related restrictions of any state in the country – behind even states like California and Vermont. The personal finance site Wallet Hub looked at metrics like face mask mandates and restrictions on restaurants, businesses and large gatherings. Its latest findings: of 50 states and Washington, D.C., Virginia had the most total restrictions. Governor Northam’s office would not speak to whether this survey’s ranking is accurate, but Spokesperson Alena Yarmosky says Virginia has a lower unemployment rate, COVID case rate and COVID-death rate than most states. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story:
Click here for the Wallet Hub report.
Click here for CDC state-by-state data on COVID-19 case and death rates.
Updated COVID numbers for the Near Southwest Region, which includes Carilion, Centra, LewisGale, Sovah, and the Salem VA Medical Center, as of today: there are 187 Hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 43 ICU patients and 29 on ventilators. Last week at the same time 200 patients were hospitalized for COVID in the region. The numbers have declined steadily since January – 450 were hospitalized on January 13.
MGN
Federal prosecutors say a Roanoke medical practice will pay more than $2 million in fines and restitution for fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid billing over an eight-year span. Allergy and Asthma Associates had already pleaded guilty to billing the government more than $600,000 for expensive asthma treatments it either did not purchase or improperly administered to patients.
NEWS RELEASE: ROANOKE, Va. – Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar and Virginia Attorney General Mark G. Herring announced today the finalization of a $2.1 million civil resolution with Allergy and Asthma Associates Inc. [AAA], a Roanoke-based, family-owned medical practice that billed Medicare and Virginia Medicaid more than $600,000 for expensive asthma treatments in did not purchase or improperly administered to patients. In June 2020, AAA pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to one count of criminal health care fraud.
“When a medical practice fraudulently bills our Medicare and Medicaid programs, it diverts funds from the most vulnerable in our communities and must be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bubar. “Today’s civil resolution coupled with AAA’s criminal conviction in June marks the end of a lengthy investigation and demonstrates that we will work closely with our federal and state partners to hold providers responsible for healthcare fraud.”
“Individuals and health care providers who defraud our health care system are not only stealing from Medicare and Medicaid, but they are also stealing from taxpayers and they must be held accountable,” said Attorney General Herring. “I want to thank both our state and federal partners, as well as my hardworking Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, for their dedication and partnership on this case.”
“Every Medicare or Medicaid dollar paid wrongfully is money no longer available for crucially needed health services,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge at the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Working with our law enforcement partners we will continue protecting these valuable program funds.”
According to court documents, between January 2010 and September 2017, AAA submitted improper billings to Medicare and Medicaid for Xolair, an expensive asthma treatment sold in single-use vials. Due to the nature of the drug, many patients receive doses of the drug that require health care providers to administer a partial vial of the drug. This results in leftover amounts of Xolair that are not administered to the patient. At relevant times, Medicare and Medicaid allowed providers to bill Medicare Part B and Medicaid one time for an entire single vial of Xolair, which includes both the administered quantity, as well as the discarded quantity of the drug from a single-use vial, up to the amount listed on the vial’s label.
In situations where a patient’s dose resulted in a leftover partial vial of Xolair, AAA administered the leftover amount to another patient and the billed Medicare and Medicaid for administering this amount as if it were the entire single-use vial.
From January 2010 to September 2017, AAA billed Medicare $627,540 for Xolair that AAA did not purchase. In addition, AAA received 129 vials of Xolair from Medicaid which is not documented as being used for a Medicaid patient. These 129 vials represent an approximate loss to Medicaid of $88,878.
Under the terms of the civil resolution finalized last week, AAA will pay a total of $2,149,607 to settle claims they violated the false claims act. Broken down, $1,994,607 will be paid to United States government and $154,648 will be paid to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services- Office of the Inspector General, Virginia Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General Nicole S. Terry prosecuted the criminal case for the United States. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lugar handled the civil matter.
Dr. Cynthia Morrow/VDH-VT photo
Northside High School is suspending its football season indefinitely after four players and a coach tested positive for coronavirus. The Roanoke County school’s football Facebook page says none of the team’s 42 players or five coaches are permitted back in school until contract tracing has been completed. Northside was scheduled to play Glenvar this Friday. The school asked all players to stay home today while contact tracing continues. The Vikings won’t be back on the football field until at least March 15. Dr. Cynthia Morrow with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts:
