Federal vaccine mandate pushed coverage up 40%, without worker exodus: study
By
Kimberly Marselas
May 17, 2022
Nursing home workers’ COVID-19 vaccination rates increased by 25 percentage points in the months after the federal government mandated that they receive the shots, a KFF analysis finds.
About 20K nursing home staff now have vaccine medical exemptions
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 22, 2022
Although the COVID-19 vaccination rate is now 89% among nursing home staff members, thousands have obtained medical exemptions, a new report finds.
CMS revises COVID-19 vaccine mandate guidance
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 06, 2022
Workers at skilled nursing and other long-term care facilities that have been suspended or are on extended leave won’t count against the providers as “unvaccinated staff,” according to new updated...
Kansas losing $350,000 for not enforcing healthcare worker vaccine mandate
By
Danielle Brown
Mar 31, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is cutting Kansas’ Medicaid funding by nearly $350,000 for not enforcing the federal healthcare worker COVID-19 vaccine mandate in nursing homes and hospitals.
Supreme Court won’t review healthcare workers’ challenge to Maine vaccine mandate
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 23, 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear arguments in a lawsuit that would allow healthcare workers to apply for religious exemptions to Maine’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
CMS is doing something right: Focusing on safety
By
Neville M. Bilimoria
Feb 18, 2022
On Feb. 9, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a memo to state survey agency directors, asking state departments of public health to properly survey for certification requirements....
There’s more than one way to park a car — or come into CMS compliance
By
James M. Berklan
Feb 17, 2022
Providers have shown a strong interest in compliance exemptions for the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate lately. Now it gets interesting.
Question, blame, repeat: The all-too predictable COVID cycle
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 08, 2022
Will there be six more weeks of hand-wringing when it comes to placing political blame for early COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes? It’s all part of the COVID cycle.
16 states file new lawsuit against healthcare worker COVID vaccine mandate
By
Danielle Brown
Feb 08, 2022
Sixteen states are making another push to stop the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers nearly a month after the Supreme Court upheld the regulation.
No more mandate extensions. Let’s roll.
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 02, 2022
What is the end game in asking for another mandate extensions? Delay, deny and deflect methods won’t protect vulnerable populations, nor maintain workforce.