Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Policy and Regulatory Changes to the Omnibus COVID–19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Requirements; Additional Policy and Regulatory Changes to the Requirements for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs–IID) To Provide COVID–19 Vaccine Education and Offer Vaccinations to Residents, Clients, and Staff; Policy and Regulatory Changes to the Long Term Care Facility COVID–19 Testing Requirements. 42 CFR Parts 416, 418, 441, 460, 482, 483, 484, 485, 486, 491, and 494
“SUMMARY: Final Rule. This final rule removes expired language addressing staff and patient COVID–19 testing requirements for LTC Facilities issued in the interim final rule with comment ‘‘Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID–19 Public Health Emergency’’ published in the September 2, 2020 Federal Register. The rule also finalizes requirements for these facilities to provide education about COVID–19 vaccines and to offer COVID–19 vaccines to residents, clients, and staff. In addition, the rule withdraws the regulations in the interim final rule with comment (IFC) ‘‘Omnibus COVID–19 Health Care Staff Vaccination’’ published in the November 5, 2021 Federal Register and finalizes certain provisions of the ‘‘COVID–19 Vaccine Requirements for Long-Term Care (LTC) Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs–IID) Residents, Clients, and Staff’’ IFC, published in the May 13, 2021 Federal Register. DATE: The regulations in this final rule are effective on August 4, 2023.
Federal Register, June 5, 2023, pp. 36485-36510, at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-06-05/pdf/2023-11449.pdf