BREAKING: Supreme Court speeds vax mandates to Jan. 7 hearing
By
James M. Berklan
Dec 22, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court took the unusual step of announcing Wednesday night that it would hear arguments over the administration’s COVID-19 worker vaccine mandate on Jan. 7, three days before it was originally...
‘Heartbreaking’: All contact with nursing home residents fell by more than half, study shows
By
Danielle Brown
Sep 14, 2020
Nursing home operators took limiting in-person contact with residents very seriously after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Visits of all kinds fell by 53% between March and April, new findings by...
CMS: Educate, vaccinate and be ready to prove it
By
Danielle Brown
May 14, 2021
Nursing home operators must be ready to prove they provided education and offered both residents and staff the COVID-19 vaccine once enforcement of a new interim rule begins next month.
CMS urges: Start reviewing, planning and tracking staff COVID vaccinations now
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 08, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is calling on providers to immediately start reviewing the newly proposed healthcare worker COVID-19 vaccination regulation. They also should actually begin...
Providers tell CMS it’s ‘decidedly’ the wrong time to toy with PDPM rates
By
Kimberly Marselas
Jun 03, 2021
Providers need more time before the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would implement any adjustments to PDPM payment rates, operators and associations have told the agency in official comments.
COVID-19 vaccine mandate for surveyors? CMS clarifies
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 09, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans on issuing COVID-19 vaccination guidance covering surveyors charged with inspecting nursing homes, an agency spokesperson confirmed.
Providers still can’t limit surveyor access or ask for proof of COVID vaccination, CMS says
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 15, 2021
Long-term care facilities are not allowed to restrict access to surveyors based on their vaccination status or ask them for proof of vaccination as a condition of entry, according to updated guidance from...
UPDATED: Healthcare worker vaccine mandate back on for 26 states
By
Danielle Brown
Dec 16, 2021
Long-term care providers in 26 states will still have to comply with a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate after a federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed a nationwide block against the rule.
1 in 8 nursing home workers have completed COVID-19 training program, CMS says
By
Danielle Brown
Nov 18, 2020
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is calling for more nursing home staff members to complete its new training program designed to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
CMS withholds another $1-plus million over vaccine mandate compliance
By
Danielle Brown
Jun 14, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has withheld $1.2 million in funding from Florida over the state’s refusal to monitor facilities ability to meet the federal COVID-19 vaccine requirement...