Regular COVID-19 testing of nursing home staff, who are the most likely to introduce the virus to a facility and spread it to residents, has been sanctioned by experts as one of the most important ways to contain outbreaks. Yet a patchwork of state and federal recommendations have hampered efforts to devise a uniform policy for the testing and has led to disputes over whether insurers or employers should cover testing costs, according to a Tuesday New York Times report.
The article examines how a lack of federal coordination and differing state policies around worker testing has led to confusion within the industry. At the federal level, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has stated that it wants nursing homes to test workers weekly but has not made testing a requirement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, has said that facilities can adjust how often they test workers based on the local prevalence of coronavirus. Without clear federal guidance, states have been devising their own testing requirements for nursing homes, with many pushing the logistics and costs onto local facilities, the article reports.
One of the most contentious issues around worker testing concerns who should pay related costs, however. The American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living has reported that testing all 3 million workers and residents in assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities just once will cost $672 million. Resident tests can be billed to insurers such as Medicare and Medicaid, but payment responsibilities for staff often are murky.
“Nursing home employees are some of the lowest paid workers in the healthcare industry and often work by the hour, and for multiple facilities,” the article stated. “Many do not have health insurance, and about 42 percent of workers who care for older people receive some kind of public assistance.”
Both employers and insurers have pushed back against paying for worker testing, and both groups have asked the federal government for funding and guidance assistance.
“It is essential that strategies that address workplace testing be part of an overarching public and occupational health strategy, and that federal guidance clearly articulate the roles of insurance providers, employers and public health officials,” National Association of Insurance Commissioners Senior Vice President of Communications Kristine Grow told the New York Times in a statement.
This article appeared in the McKnight’s Business Daily, a joint effort of McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.
