The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance on the Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule that was published on November 5, 2021. The emergency regulation is intended to help safeguard health care workers and the people they serve from COVID-19 and its variants for all individuals seeking care by imposing requirements regarding vaccinations for eligible staff at many health care facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Health care workers in CMS-certified facilities must be vaccinated. The Interim Final Rule and this CMS guidance apply to nursing homes, home health agencies, hospices, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, federally qualified health centers, end stage renal disease facilities, and rural health clinics. It does not apply to Designated Agencies. The guidance provides important information on implementation as well as guidelines to assess and maintain compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
More information, including Frequently Asked Questions, may be found under the “Clinical and Technical Guidance for All Health Care Providers” at the following link: https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/EPRO/Current-Emergencies/Current-Emergencies-page.