Medicare requires nursing homes to report COVID vaccinations

WASHINGTON >> Medicare will require nursing homes to report COVID-19 vaccination rates for residents and staff, the government said Tuesday. Officials hope to nudge facilities to keep giving shots, as the worst ravages of the pandemic ease but the danger of a rebound still lurks.

“We’re hoping to drive increased vaccination rates among residents and staff, as well as transparency for residents and their families,” Dr. Lee Fleisher, chief medical officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told The Associated Press.

Medicare’s move to sustain the pace of vaccinations came as the initial effort to get shots to nursing homes across the country has wound down. That partnership between the government and retail pharmacy giants CVS and Walgreens is being succeeded by an ongoing collaboration with specialized long-term care pharmacies that cater to the needs of the nursinghome industry. Assisted-living facilities and other care centers serving older people can also participate.

A smooth transition will be critical, because the coronavirus is far from eradicated, even as new residents are being admitted to longterm care facilities and staffing ebbs and flows.

People living in longterm care facilities have borne a heavy toll from the pandemic. They represent about 1% of the U.S. population, but accounted for roughly 1 in 3 deaths, according to previous estimates from the COVID Tracking Project.