Nursing Home Rule Requiring Reporting of COVID-19 Vaccination – Residents and Staff

Nursing Home Rule Requiring Reporting of COVID-19 Vaccination – Residents and Staff

CMS released an interim final rule with comment period today that requires nursing homes to do the following:

  • Educate residents, representatives, and staff on the benefits and potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccination. The nursing home must document that education has been provided and whether the vaccine was accepted or declined.
  • Offer COVID-19 vaccination to all residents and staff who are not previously vaccinated and for whom there are no contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination. If the nursing home cannot immediately offer vaccination, the nursing home must provide information for alternatives to accessing vaccination.
  • Report rates of vaccination for both residents and staff through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Data should be submitted on a weekly basis and the first data submission must be received by 11:59pm on Sunday, June 13, 2021.
  • Report resident use of therapeutics through NHSN.

Remember that “staff” means individuals working in the nursing home at least once per week and includes employees, volunteers, and individuals providing services under arrangement or contract.

Nursing homes that fail to report vaccine rates or therapeutics will be cited under existing F884. Recall that failure to report under F884 also carries associated Civil Monetary Penalties.

Nursing homes that fail to provide education and offer vaccination to residents/representatives and staff will be cited under new F887.

This rule is an interim final rule with comment, which means that the requirements go into effect immediately. Comments on the rule are due July 11.

The rule is available for review here.

CMS released memo QSO-21-19-NH to provide interpretive guidance.

The CMS press release is available here.

 

Questions?

Contact:

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804

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May 13, 2021