AHA urges CMS to be flexible in enforcing vaccination mandate

The American Hospital Association (AHA) this week urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to be flexible as it begins enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for hospitals and other participants in the Medicare and Medicaid program. Exercising discretion in the mandate’s enforcement will help mitigate uncertainty and enable hospitals and health systems to navigate workforce challenges without disrupting patient care. The AHA also asked CMS to provide clarification on the agency’s guidance and develop a means for hospitals to quickly get answers to their questions on compliance with the interim final rule governing the mandate. The AHA issued a separate update this week explaining the legal challenges to the mandate, which are slated to be argued Jan. 7 before the Supreme Court. (AHA News article, 1/4/21)