Frustration is growing for medical professionals including those who work at hospices as they wait for President Biden to reveal details about how federal regulations for COVID-19 will be enforced.
This frustration is in part driven by uncertainty about aspects like permissible exemptions, testing costs, and the number of worker counts that will be utilized. Until the regulation is published, the country will not be certain about the exact impact on home care organizations by COVID-19 regulations.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization President and CEO have reported that there is widespread concern and that the country continues to collect input about COVID-19 to inform its discussions with the administration to make sure that the requirement is executed in the best possible manner.
While employers commonly pay for the costs of testings, it’s impossible to assess whether this will happen with the COVID-19 vaccine. It also remains uncertain where COVID-19 testing will occur. Additional regulations will also likely apply when employers are the ones also giving the vaccine to others
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is expected to soon announce its final rule on the vaccine mandatory for healthcare providers. The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expected to announce rules for businesses with over 100 workers around this time too.
Six Elements of Biden’s Covid-19 Plan
While uncertainty remains about various aspects of the federal Covid-19 ordinance, President Biden recently revealed his Covid-19 plans which address the following issues:
- COVID-19 vaccines have been available to all individuals who are 16 years of age and older since April 2021 as well as to individuals who are 12 and older since May. For senior citizens who have transportation challenges in getting vaccinations, various organizations including NCOA and Lyft offer older adults access to reliable results to COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
- Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control now recommends a third booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 65 and older as well as individuals who reside in hospitals and nursing homes.
- The country is focused on returning to its normal operations. In the interim, senior citizens should continue using Medicare-covered virtual visits. While some types of services can only be done in person, others can be done virtually.
- President Birden is focused on increasing testing and requiring masking. Testing is a key tool in identifying infected individuals. Masking can also help to slow and restrict the spread of COVID-19. For elderly individuals who reside in hospitals and nursing homes, it is important to make sure that these facilities continue to follow strong mask requirements.
- Our country is focused on treating individuals infected with COVID-19 and helping healthcare systems in the hardest-hit parts of the country.
Contact an Experienced Elder Law Attorney
How the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rolls out its COVID-19 vaccine mandate is one of the current uncertainties about the COVID-19 vaccine. If you or a loved one needs the help of an experienced lawyer, do not hesitate to contact Ettinger Law Firm today for assistance.