Biden announced nursing homes must require employee COVID vaccination to get federal Medicare+Medicaid funding

Nurses COVID

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President Biden announced Wednesday he's ordering HHS to require Nursing Homes to have staff vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to be able to participate in Medicare and Medicaid and receive funding from these programs. The new rule will go into effect in late September affecting more than 15,000 nursing homes and 1.3 million workers.

Biden to tie vaccines for nursing home staff to Medicare and Medicaid funding

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Washington — President Biden announced Wednesday he is ordering the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require nursing homes to have vaccinated staff for them to be able to participate in Medicare and Medicaid and receive funding from the federal programs.

The vaccination requirement will be the first time the federal government has implemented any type of vaccination requirement besides those for federal government employees.  

"More than 130,000 residents in nursing homes have, sadly, over the period of this virus, passed away. At the same time, vaccination rates among nursing home staff significantly trail the rest of the country," the president said from the White House. "The studies show that a highly vaccinated nursing home staff is associated with at least 30% less COVID-19 cases among long-term care residents. With this announcement, I'm using the power of the federal government, as a payer of health care costs, to ensure we reduce those risks to our most vulnerable seniors." ...

 

 

21 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Maybe because covid is more contagious and deadly than influenza? They don't allow us to remain unvaccinated against measles either. 

No argument from me. I agree. Just think when the facilities allow masks to be worn instead of vaccination for a disease/illness but then require it for another it sends mixed messages.

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Specializes in A variety.
On 8/19/2021 at 7:20 PM, litbitblack said:

Sadly I agree with this recommendation. But I also work in a private pay facility. I am the one that does the Covid testing for everybody and we have 43 out of 100 staff not vaccinated. Some of the comments from my vaccinated staff are that they are angry at the unvaccinated staff are not doing what they need to do to help keep people healthy. 

Are the unvaccinated disclosing that they aren't? If not, how did they come to learn that anybody wasn't?

Have any of the 43 had it before?

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
40 minutes ago, jive turkey said:

Are the unvaccinated disclosing that they aren't? If not, how did they come to learn that anybody wasn't?

Have any of the 43 had it before?

Have you ever admitted a patient into acute care? You ask them questions that are pertinent to their complaint or health need.  Sometimes patients lie about their personal medical history.  

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
On 8/19/2021 at 6:56 AM, Hoosier_RN said:

I worry about this. With the availability if vaccines,  if employees wanted them, they've gotten them. So, LTCs will now be even shorter staffed, meaning residents care will be even worse. It's a major concern in my area. Most older staff got it, younger have declined and state that they'll find themselves another career line

One of our SNF's mandated vaccines  but gave everyone a raise.  We will see if it enough to recruit.   It's twice the minimum.

 

 

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On 8/21/2021 at 7:11 AM, Peachpit said:

I understand his position but...where I live, this is going to only going to create more staffing issues than already exists in the long term care facilities in my area. They barely meet state requirements now.

If some hospitals/faculties allow employees who refuse the flu vaccine to wear an N95 mask continuously while on duty why now extend the same option to those that don't want the covid vaccine? If masks really do protect/lower risk of covid transmission then this gives employees an option and hospitals/facilities keep staff

Yes but...people who don't believe in Covid are the people who will walk around with the mask over their chin and not their mouth and nose. 

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On 8/22/2021 at 7:50 PM, jive turkey said:

Are the unvaccinated disclosing that they aren't? If not, how did they come to learn that anybody wasn't?

Have any of the 43 had it before?

IN has a database (I'm guessing other states do too) that every covid vaccination injection was tracked, like other vaccines (flu/pneumo/prevnar, etc). Although it's not required for dialysis workers (yet), in my region, they look up vaccination status of anyone who doesn't provide a card, both staff and patients. I understand the reasoning (statistical data), but the tracking aspect is creepy

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1 hour ago, Hoosier_RN said:

IN has a database (I'm guessing other states do too) that every covid vaccination injection was tracked, like other vaccines (flu/pneumo/prevnar, etc). Although it's not required for dialysis workers (yet), in my region, they look up vaccination status of anyone who doesn't provide a card, both staff and patients. I understand the reasoning (statistical data), but the tracking aspect is creepy

What if they didn't track?  What would the consequences of that look like?

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3 minutes ago, subee said:

What if they didn't track?  What would the consequences of that look like?

Great question. Wish I had the clear answer. I have ideas, but not the answer.

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6 minutes ago, subee said:

What if they didn't track?  What would the consequences of that look like?

I don't think that most states do track who gets what vaccine but I didn't look it up.  I helped work  on the Michigan childhood immunization registry years ago. It's very helpful to be able to access a database to assess vaccination status.  

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COVID-19 vaccination is tracked in all states using a restricted registry with de-identified personal info flowing back to CDC for statistical reports and supply chain need for vaccine shipment.

USA Today 12/17/2020

Tracking the 'COVID-19 vaccine

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...Every COVID-19 vaccine dose is allocated by the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed, ordered by states and tracked by shipping companies and then hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and other vaccination sites. Systems then track who gets the vaccine and report back to the federal government. There are also systems in place to log adverse reactions and patient follow-up, too....

...Keeping tabs on all the data sources is a nerve center known as Tiberius (the middle name of Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek, the show that inspired “Warp Speed”). Tiberius will monitor details of where the vaccine is moving and who’s received injections -- although personal identifiers will be removed before federal contractors and authorities at the federal, state and local levels view the data....

 

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
26 minutes ago, NRSKarenRN said:

COVID-19 vaccination is tracked in all states using a restricted registry with de-identified personal info flowing back to CDC for statistical reports and supply chain need for vaccine shipment.

USA Today 12/17/2020

Tracking the 'COVID-19 vaccine

 

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That's good news! 

Maybe after this pandemic experience we will improve upon that national public health collaboration. 

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