CMS: Staff Vaccine Mandate ‘Levels the Playing Field’, Coming Late September

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ regulation requiring staff vaccination for Medicare and Medicaid participating long-term care facilities is expected in late September, and officials say it is aimed at leveling the playing field.

“We know that there have been concerns about staff leaving based on the vaccine requirement, and we believe that this requirement would really level the playing field,” Jean Moody-Williams, deputy director of CMS’s Center for Clinical Standards & Quality, said during a call Wednesday with nursing home stakeholders. “Because of the absence of a national standard there could be inequities among nursing homes that impact the level of care provided to residents.”

The Biden administration last week announced it would require that all nursing home staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19.

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About 82.8% of residents and 60.5% of staff per facility are vaccinated, CMS reported as of the week of Aug. 8.

The government’s announcement thus far has yet to provide clarification as to what will be required from nursing homes and when, however, CMS officials said facilities can expect another stakeholder call next month with more information.

Operators and senior living organization leaders expressed concerns following the president’s announced plan that singling out one group of health care workers would only further worsen a continued staffing crisis.

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According to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care’s (NIC) most recent survey of skilled nursing and senior living executives, 93% of the organizations reported that they were experiencing staffing shortages.

And a recent survey of 616 nursing homes, conducted by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), found that 94% of operators said they were experiencing staffing shortages.

But CMS nursing home division director Evan Shulman believes those who are looking for a workplace without a vaccine mandate are running out of options.

“Not a day goes by when I think I see yet another major employer, either in health care, or outside of health care that is implementing a vaccine mandate. So in other words, the options for people to go to other employers is becoming smaller and smaller as all employers are really looking at this because the vaccine really is the most effective way to prevent transmission,” Shulman said during the call.

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