Biden administration proposes to expand Trump-era COVID data collection under CDC

EXCLUSIVE U.S. seeks to expand Trump-era COVID data collection under CDC The Biden administration wants to expand a federal COVID-19 tracking system created during the pandemic to provide a more detailed view of how respiratory and other infectious diseases are affecting patients and hospital resources, according to a draft of proposed rules reviewed by Reuters. Julie Steenhuysen,Marisa Taylor Reuters

March 14 (Reuters) - The Biden administration wants to expand a federal COVID-19 tracking system created during the pandemic to provide a more detailed view of how respiratory and other infectious diseases are affecting patients and hospital resources, according to a draft of proposed rules reviewed by Reuters.

The plan would build upon a hospital data collection system designed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump administration. Management of the program was transferred last month to HHS's lead public health agency, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The change comes amid criticism over the CDC's shifting public health guidance during the pandemic and its ability to collect and analyze COVID data in a timely and transparent way.

Authorization for the current hospital data tracking program is due to expire once the government lifts the national state of pandemic emergency.

The proposed plan would ensure it remains in place long term and add new requirements of the nearly 6,200 participating hospitals, such as providing data on the number of patients with flu-like illnesses and other diseases with pandemic potential in addition to COVID and influenza.

Such reporting would be a condition of hospitals' participation in the federal Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs for older and poor Americans. ...