Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Many patients continue to deal with both the physical and mental effects of COVID-19 long after the virus is gone. A new advisory offers fresh guidance on identifying symptoms and helping patients.

Now: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), issued a new advisory titled the “Identification and Management of Mental Health Symptoms and Conditions Associated with Long COVID.” The brief looks at mental health symptoms, the epidemiology of Long COVID, the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on recovery, and more.

“Long COVID has a range of burdensome physical symptoms, and can take a toll on a person’s mental health,” says HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a release. “It can be very challenging for a person, whether they are impacted themselves, or they are a caregiver for someone who is affected. This advisory helps to raise awareness, especially among primary care practitioners and clinicians who are often the ones treating patients with Long COVID.”

Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, adds, “We know that people living with Long COVID need help today, and providers need help understanding what Long COVID is and how to treat it. This advisory helps bridge that gap for the behavioral health impacts of Long COVID.”

Resources: Review the HHS release at www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/06/21/hhs-issues-advisory-mental-health-symptoms-and-conditions-related-long-covid.html and the SAMHSA advisory at https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep23-06-05-007.pdf.