No sign Supreme Court will block COVID-19 vaccination mandates, legal expert say
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Dec 15, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday in a 6-3 ruling to hear a challenge to New York’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers on religious grounds, and a legal expert says evidence is mounting that...
State lawmakers take action on COVID-19-related liability, vaccination legislation
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Dec 02, 2021
More COVID-19-related legislation is working its way through state legislat
COVID booster shots must be available to all long-term care residents: governor
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Nov 30, 2021
Bracing for the new omicron variant of COVID-19 to make its way across the border from Canada, the governor of New York is stepping up efforts to get booster shots into the arms of long-term care residents.
Tougher building code penalties implemented in wake of deadly assisted living fire
By
Kimberly Bonvissuto
Nov 11, 2021
A new law implementing mandatory penalties for repeated building code violations was signed into law just months after a deadly assisted living fire in New York led to the deaths of a firefighter and a...
Class action suit blasts Washington state’s long-term care tax
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Nov 11, 2021
Opponents of a mandatory payroll tax to fund Washington state’s new long-term care program filed a class action lawsuit Tuesday in federal court. The measure aims to stop the January start of the payroll...
Michigan healthcare industry asks state for $650M to address staffing shortages
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Nov 10, 2021
Michigan’s Healthcare Workforce Sustainability Alliance is asking the Michigan legislature for $650 million to help offset staffing shortages. The funds would be directed toward rewarding current...
Washington state lawmakers re-examine LTC insurance program in wake of criticism
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Nov 02, 2021
The WA Cares program, designed to help Washington state residents pay for long-term care, will go into effect in January, but legislators have challenges to address in the meantime.
States, courts take actions that complicate vaccine mandate effects
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Nov 01, 2021
So far, courts across the country—all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court—have sided with state governments on imposed vaccine requirements. The justices declined Friday to even hear a case challenging...
3 states could lose ability to enforce workplace safety rules due to not protecting healthcare workers...
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Oct 21, 2021
The Labor Department put three states on notice that they could lose their authority to enforce their own workplace safety rules due to their refusal to adopt federal rules to protect healthcare workers...
Staff shortages lead to limits, holds on admissions: survey
By
Kathleen Steele Gaivin
Oct 06, 2021
Nearly three-quarters of the respondents to a Pennsylvania Health Care Association member survey last month said they’ve had to limit or put on hold admissions within the past six months.