The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), days after the Biden administration announced its vaccine mandate for nursing homes, urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to consider the decision’s effect on staffing.
In a letter to the agency, AHCA/NCAL said the regulation may cause a “mass exodus” from the nursing home profession, further exacerbating staffing challenges that existed pre-pandemic.
The organization proposed a “thoughtful approach” that focuses on staff retention as part of the mandate. That would include setting aside $3 billion from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to cover the cost of agency staff when the expected exodus occurs.
AHCA/NCAL said more education for the vaccine hesitant was needed as well, along with a federally funded daily testing alternative, updates to the PRF portal, and modifications to visitation guidance, asking visitors to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result prior to entering a facility.
This is all in addition to a plea to expand the mandate to all health care workers, since SNF residents are many times tied to other aspects of the health care continuum, like hospice or home health care.
“If a significant portion of the approximately 38% of unvaccinated nursing home staff leave, the net impact will be worse care for the residents,” Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, said in the letter. “While the loss of just half of the unvaccinated staff would be devastating to care, the loss of even one or two staff in a nursing home impacts care on certain shifts and units.”
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