ACT NOW!

Write an email to CMS on the Nursing Home Staff Vaccination Mandate

On August 18, President Biden announced that all nursing home staff will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in an upcoming regulation.

AHCA/NCAL sent a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, expressing our concerns about the impact this mandate may have on staffing. The letter advocated that any mandate needs to apply to all health care settings, not just nursing homes, and offer a routine testing option for individuals who refuse a vaccine. AHCA/NCAL will continue our advocacy efforts, but CMS has asked to hear from you too.

As CMS is working on the regulation, they’ve asked to hear feedback from providers on the impact of this proposed mandate. We are encouraging all nursing home providers (e.g., facility administrators and directors of nursing) to send an email to CMS sharing your facility’s story and perspective.

Providers should submit their emails no later than Friday, September 3rd. Send your message through the AHCA/NCAL Action Center or email CMS directly. Instructions are below.

***Information to include in your email***

INCLUDE YOUR PERSONAL STORY, CONCERNS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE MANDATE, FOCUSING ON:

• Your efforts to increase vaccine uptake among staff and challenges you’ve experienced as well as successes you have had
• The impact it will have on your facility’s staffing, noting personal stories such as the potential for losing committed and caring team members
• Any impact it will have on your ability to continue to accept residents and provide care in your local community
• Any policies you want to advocate for (e.g. testing option for the unvaccinated, phase-in of this mandate, extension to other health care settings)

Thank you for taking these concerns into consideration.

Sincerely,

Name
Facility
City, State

SEND VIA THE ACTION CENTER

or email CMS directly: DNH_TriageTeam@cms.hhs.gov.

Please email COVID19@ahca.org for additional questions, or visit ahcancal.org/coronavirus for more information.