Feb. 28th COVID-19 Update
New updates pertaining to the COVID-19 emergency continue to be announced by both the state and federal government on a regular basis. The latest developments for providers of long-term/post-acute care (LTPAC) and senior services are reviewed below.
As a reminder, LeadingAge NY continues to convene weekly webinars on Mondays at 11 a.m. to address emerging questions on COVID-19. A recording of our most recent webinar, held on Feb. 27th, is available here, and a list of the items shared by LeadingAge NY staff in the webinar chat can be accessed here. If you have questions for next week’s update or would like the access information, please contact Jeff Diamond.
Cross-Sector Updates
Appellate Court Stays Injunction and Enables Enforcement of State Health Care Staff Vaccination Mandate
An appellate court ruling issued on Feb. 27th has enabled New York State to continue to enforce its health care staff vaccination mandate pending the resolution of its appeal. The decision by the Appellate Division, Fourth Department stayed a lower court injunction in Medical Professionals for Informed Consent v. Bassett. The decision requires the State to perfect its appeal by March 20th. If the State’s papers are filed by March 20th, the Appellate Division will hear the case in its term beginning on May 15th.
In addition to the New York State vaccination mandate, health care staff in New York who work in settings certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are subject to the federal vaccination mandate.
CMS Provides Updates on Transition from Public Health Emergency
With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) approaching on May 11th, CMS has been disseminating information related to the status of regulatory waivers and new regulations implemented in response to the PHE through a series of fact sheets and stakeholder calls. Click here for more information.
Affordable Housing/Independent Living Updates
LeadingAge National Hosts “Medicaid Unwinding in Affordable Housing” Call
With the COVID-19 PHE unwinding, LeadingAge National hosted a call for members to learn about the associated changes to Medicaid continuous enrollment and their potential impact on affordable housing residents.
Held on Feb. 22nd, the call focused on information for Service Coordinators and others working with affordable housing residents. LeadingAge National staff reviewed the basics of the upcoming Medicaid coverage changes, what they mean for older adults receiving federal rental assistance, and resources for people working with affordable housing residents.
Click here to view the recording and here to review LeadingAge National’s need-to-know overview. Members may reach out to Georgia Goodman at LeadingAge National (ggoodman@leadingage.org) with questions.