PHHPC Approves Extension of PPE and COVID-19 Vaccination Access Regulations

On April 5, 2022, the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) approved the extension of regulations requiring nursing homes and hospitals to maintain personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpiles and regulations requiring nursing homes and adult care facilities (ACFs) to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for residents and staff. The PPE regulations are here, and the vaccination access regulations are here. 

LeadingAge NY once again submitted comments on the regulations. Our comments on the PPE regulations highlighted that the formula used for calculating the required supply of PPE requires excessive purchases, resulting in wasted resources. In response to our comments, the Department of Health (DOH) stated that it is too soon to reconsider the formula.

LeadingAge NY's comments on the vaccination access regulation focused on the requirement to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to all residents and staff without recognizing that certain individuals are ineligible for the vaccine. The comments also noted that the penalties in the regulation are excessive, especially given staffing shortages.

Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383