Anticipating OSHA’s Final COVID-19 Health Care Worker Rule

• By: Angela Westhoff
• On: 01/05/2023 14:44:11
• In: National Affiliate News

On January 4^th the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) sent a letter to OSHA regarding its forthcoming Final Healthcare Standard on COVID-19 requesting that workplace safety standards remain consistent with updated COVID-19 standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for nursing homes.
 
AHCA/NCAL argues that protocols established at the beginning of the pandemic are no longer prudent due to new, less severe COVID-19 variants and the tools that are now widely available to combat the virus (e.g., vaccines and treatments). Moreover, previous stringent protocols had a separate, detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of residents and contributed to the burnout of staff.
 
Details of the Final Healthcare Standard on COVID-19 are anticipated in the very near future and we will be providing more information for members as well as how you may engage in advocacy on this topic.
 
Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org