Hospitals’ COVID reporting burden to decrease as pandemic-era policies expire

Starting May 1, 2024, hospitals are no longer mandated to report COVID-19 admissions, occupancy, and capacity data to federal authorities, marking the end of pandemic-era reporting requirements for healthcare providers. This change follows the federal government's declaration of the COVID public health emergency's end nearly a year ago, coupled with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) significant reduction in mandatory reporting obligations for COVID-related metrics. Nationwide, COVID hospitalizations and deaths have dropped to near-record lows this spring. Initially mandated in March 2020, health systems reported various COVID-related data to track the virus's impact, including emergency department capacity and personal protective equipment inventory. By May 2023, requirements had been trimmed to 44 data points. Despite declining COVID cases, a new variant, KP.2, has emerged, according to the World Health Organization. The CDC encourages ongoing voluntary reporting of hospitalization data.