California skilled nursing providers are now required to conduct universal testing for COVID-19at all facilities under the latest directive from state health officials.
Providers must test all residents and staff at least once, and if a facility has no positive cases, it then must still test 25% of residents and workers every seven days, according to a letter sent to SNFs from the California Department of Public Health. Providers also must ensure all staff members are tested each month.
The state health department announced the latest testing requirements for providers last week. The new policy is stricter than Los Angeles County’s, which allowed nursing homes — after they conducted universal testing — to test 10% of residents weekly if no positive cases were reported and skip staff testing altogether, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“Establishing a plan for baseline, surveillance, and response-driven testing of SNF residents and HCP is necessary to protect the vulnerable SNF population,” the letter states.
Universal testing requirements have quickly been adopted across the country following the federal government’s recommendation to states to test all nursing home residents as quickly as possible. However, universal testing comes at a cost.
Recent data from the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living found that one-time universal testing at every U.S. nursing home and assisted living facility would cost a combined $672 million. Providers also have called on the federal government to provide additional aid to help them meet testing requirements.
