I. FOLLOWING THE NARRATIVE: A quick summary of national media trends last week.
(*LeadingAge is featured in the story.)
With the spread of the Delta variant pushing up COVID-19 cases, last week’s two-pronged action by the Biden Administration of announcing plans to make booster shots available this fall as well as to mandate staff vaccinations in nursing homes got reporters’ attention, as did providers’ reaction to mandates (see LeadingAge’s response). Continuing discussions on infrastructure focused on broadband also garnered interest.
Rising COVID cases, employer vaccine mandates and booster shots:
- Associated Press: South Dakota reports jump in virus cases in nursing homes
- The Wall Street Journal: Florida Nursing Homes Limit Visitors as Covid-19 Cases Flare
- Associated Press: US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall
- The New York Times: Biden Administration Plans for Vaccine Boosters, Perhaps by Fall
- McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Staging begins for long-term care residents’ priority COVID-19 booster shots
- * McKnight’s Senior Living: State takes ‘aggressive’ approach, requiring COVID vaccination of assisted living workers
- Washington Post: Opinion: My father’s nursing home didn’t require vaccinations for its workers. It was a deadly decision.
- Axios: Vaccine mandates sweep Corporate America
- McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Feds tell nursing homes to use vaccinated staff or lose funding: Providers cry foul
- *Modern Healthcare: Nursing home worker vaccine mandate could worsen staffing crisis, affect resident care
- *The New York Times: Nursing Homes Face Quandary: Vaccinate Staff or Don’t Get Paid
- *Washington Post, Health 202: Nursing Homes are Frustrated by Biden’s New Vaccine Mandates for Staff
- *CNN: Biden Says US Will Require Nursing Homes Get Staff Vaccinated or Lose Federal Funds
- *Home Health Care News: New Nursing Home Vaccine Requirements Could Trigger Staffing Scramble in Post-Acute Care
- *The Wall Street Journal: Biden Tells Nursing Homes to Vaccinate Staffs to Keep Medicare, Medicaid Funds
- *CQRoll Call: Biden Ties Federal Funds to Nursing Home Vaccine Mandates
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Deborah Birx: Long-term care must prepare for, protect against, prevent COVID-19
Infrastructure and Housing:
- Roll Call: Something for everyone in infrastructure deal’s broadband section
- The Hill: Time is ticking on broadband infrastructure
- Marketplace: If we’re gonna spend billions improving broadband, we kinda need to know what’s there
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Bill contains ‘big, bold’ changes to benefit affordable senior housing
II. Other Clips that Influenced the Week: LeadingAge is a sought-out, reliable source for multiple trade and national media outlets (see that coverage posted in our LeadingAge Press Room). Other key clips that shaped the narrative last week:
- Miami Herald: COVID showed the lack of quality control in long-term care. This bill helps fix that | Opinion
- Skilled Nursing News: COVID-Related Wage Increases Haven’t Curbed Turnover
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Senate Republicans demand judiciary hearing on nursing home COVID deaths
- Provider: Vaccinated Older Adults Experience Fewer COVID-Associated Hospitalizations
- McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Surveyed seniors suggest ageism played part in pandemic mitigation strategies
III. What’s On Our Radar — this week’s likely priorities:
- Emerging details on CMS’s vaccine mandate regulation
- Fleshing out of HHS’ plan to offer COVID-19 booster shots next month
- Continued advocacy on Provider Relief Funds
- Ongoing discussions on reconciliation and infrastructure
IV. National Statements & Products (all posted on the Press Room page)
- LeadingAge Comment on Reports of Biden Administration’s Requirement that Nursing Homes Mandate Staff Vaccinations as a Condition of Medicare & Medicaid Participation
- Leaders in Aging Services Call on Administration to Release Remaining Provider Relief Funds
- LeadingAge to Congress: Don’t Walk Away From Older Americans as Legislation is Finalized
