Supreme Court allows CMS vaccine mandate to stand

The U.S. Supreme Court this week allowed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine mandate to go into effect nationwide while blocking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s vaccine requirements. The Court ruled 5-4 in allowing the CMS vaccine mandate to go into effect and 6-3 in blocking the OSHA mandates. In a statement, American Hospital Association (AHA) President and CEO Rick Pollack said the AHA will work with hospitals to find ways to comply that balances the vaccine requirement with the need to retain a sufficient workforce. “We appreciate the recent guidance that extended the compliance deadline and offered enforcement discretion,” Pollack said. “We expect CMS to honor those commitments and continue to work closely with us to ensure that compliance is measured in a thoughtful and careful way that recognizes current circumstances.”