CMS requirements for masking in nursing homes continue to be referred to and be dependent on CDC county transmission levels. One of the most frequent questions we hear is whether that is changing with the end of the Public Health Emergency. Unfortunately, at present, the answer is no; the requirement is not changing. We have not been made aware of any coming changes to recommendations, including recommendations for masking. Even after the public health emergency ends, nursing homes will still be required to follow the CDC recommendations as an “accepted national standard” per the Infection Control requirements, which state that the infection prevention and control program must be based on an accepted national standard.
In conversations with CDC, rather than talking about relaxing recommendations, they are encouraging providers to consider how the mitigation strategies that were put in place over the past 3 years had a positive impact on infection control beyond COVID-19 (for example, we had a year or so where we essentially skipped flu season). The message we keep hearing is, “The PHE is ending but COVID is not.”
LeadingAge members from around the country are reporting that hospitals in their area seem to be relaxing masking requirements. When we ask CMS, the response is that hospitals should not be doing that. LeadingAge will continue talking with CMS and CDC about the requirement and its impact on providers of nursing home services and the residents they serve and care for.
