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...
Providers decry major ‘crack down’ without major funding
By
Danielle Brown
Mar 01, 2022
A historic slate of reforms that would set federal staffing standards and ratchet up penalties at poor-performing facilities — but not pay more for on-site upgrades — was widely criticized by providers...
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.
Wait, what did you just say, CMS?
By
Jacqueline Vance, RNC, CDONA/LTC
Feb 15, 2022
Keeping up with the constantly changing guidance between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations would make even a rocket scientist’s...
CMS shares LTC booster data; coverage among residents meets national average
By
Alicia Lasek
Feb 10, 2022
Nursing home booster vaccination data is now available on the Medicare.gov Care Compare website as part of CMS’s effort to help increase facility vaccination coverage, the agency said Wednesday.
CMS warns states: Survey fully or suffer consequences
By
Kimberly Marselas
Feb 10, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Wednesday sternly warned state survey agencies they must enforce all aspects of the federal program’s health and safety requirements by long-standing agreement.
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.
First vaccine deadline arrives for healthcare workers in half the nation
By
Danielle Brown
Jan 28, 2022
Surveyors can now evaluate long-term care providers’ compliance with a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate covering healthcare workers in half of the United States. Many long-term care providers are ready...
CMS: Only fully vaccinated surveyors should be part of onsite survey teams
By
Danielle Brown
Jan 26, 2022
Surveyors who are not fully vaccinated and don’t have a COVID-19 vaccine exemption should not participate as part of the onsite survey team when inspecting certified providers, according to the Centers...
COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadlines push providers
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jan 17, 2022
With every state but Texas now covered by rules mandating when workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19, providers are facing increased urgency around ongoing vaccination campaigns.