COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Home Health Agencies
UPDATE 12/1/21: The CMS Vaccine Mandate is on hold pending an official notice. COVID-19 vaccinations are still mandated for nurses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, per a City of Philadelphia mandate.
On November 4, 2021, the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination interim final rule with comment period (IFC) and the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) released new mandates regarding the COVID-19 vaccine for Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers, like eKidzCare.
Under the rule:
- Covered providers must establish a policy ensuring that all eligible staff have received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine prior to providing any care, treatment, or other services by December 5, 2021.
- All eligible staff must have received the necessary shots to be fully vaccinated—either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson—by January 4, 2022.
- Exemptions may be provided based on recognized medical conditions or religious beliefs, observances, or practices. Facilities must develop a similar process or plan for permitting exemptions in alignment with federal law.
For information on the COVID-19 vaccine and how to get it, please visit the Find COVID-19 Vaccines page on vaccines.gov to find vaccine locations in your area. For your convenience, local offices will send additional information.
As more information becomes available, we will continue to update our website and social media channels.
Read the interim final ruling and Q&As from the CMS Omnibus Staff here.
Read the press release from CMS.gov here.