Opponents of the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers are pursuing two fresh pathways to defeat it. Both challenges cite the pandemic’s current, less critical stage...
Providers to feds: Ease up on ‘restrictive’ COVID recommendations to ease staffing crunch
By
Danielle Brown
Jun 30, 2022
The nation’s second largest nursing home association has asked the Department of Health and Human Services to reevaluate several of its COVID-19 recommendations for nursing homes, saying they restrict...
Reforms could start sooner than one year, Becerra says in ‘monumental’ nursing home meeting
By
Kimberly Marselas
Apr 01, 2022
The federal government will meet or exceed a goal of implementing key nursing home reform measures within a year, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Wednesday.
States push CMS to repeal COVID-19 vaccine mandate
By
Kimberly Marselas
Lois A. Bowers
Nov 18, 2022
A coalition of 22 states is taking a new angle in its attempts to overturn a national mandate requiring that healthcare workers be vaccinated against COVID-19: They’re simply asking federal regulators...
Feds to release next $2.5 billion, 1.5 million N95 masks to nursing homes
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 27, 2020
The federal government is shipping 1.5 million N95 respirators from the national stockpile to nursing homes reporting supply shortages.
Feds mull shortened COVID-19 quarantine period
By
Alicia Lasek
Nov 30, 2020
There is “a preponderance of evidence” that a shorter quarantine period, complemented by a COVID-19 test, could effectively prevent transmission of the disease, according to Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant...
Providers want dedicated $10B relief fund for SNFs
By
Danielle Brown
Apr 30, 2020
Providers are calling on the federal government to create a dedicated fund for skilled nursing operators — like it did for hospitals — to aid them in their coronavirus response.
All nursing homes should have POC testing devices by end of September
By
Danielle Brown
Aug 27, 2020
About 5,600 point-of-care testing devices have been shipped to nursing homes so far, a top federal official revealed this week.
Opt-in COVID vaccine program kicks off; Feds partner with CVS, Walgreens
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 19, 2020
Long-term care facilities nationwide can voluntarily opt in to a free pharmacy partnership program that will provide and administer future COVID-19 vaccines on site, federal officials announced Friday.
Nursing homes to feds: Expand COVID-19 testing to all, pay $120K per facility, increase PPE shipments
By
James M. Berklan
May 05, 2020
The nation’s largest nursing home and assisted living association has turned up the pressure on the federal government, sending formal letters to federal authorities Monday asking for priority COVID-19...