Healthcare facilities in 24 states face their first deadline Feb. 14 to comply with the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccination mandate.
Per CMS, 24 states covered by the Jan. 13 Supreme Court decision to uphold the agency's mandate must ensure staff have received at least one shot, have a pending request for an exemption, have been granted a qualifying exemption, or have been identified as having a temporary delay as recommended by the CDC, by Feb. 14. They also must ensure their employees are fully vaccinated by March 15.
The compliance deadlines, announced in guidance released Jan. 14, apply to these states:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Utah
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
The CMS mandate requires healthcare facilities to establish a policy ensuring eligible workers are fully vaccinated, with exemptions allowed based on religious beliefs or recognized medical conditions.
Some states have different deadlines for the rule than others based on the Supreme Court decision and a federal court decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas.
For more information about the deadlines, click here.