Situation Report | August 2, 2021
HCA and partner associations recently wrote to Assistant Secretary for Health Kim Baker requesting a meeting to discuss the needed continuation of several COVID-19 emergency regulatory relief measures.
A meeting is now scheduled for this week, where HCA, LeadingAge New York, and the New York State Association of Health Care Providers (HCP) will present our collected regulatory relief agendas.
On June 25, 2021, Governor Cuomo ended the state’s declaration of a disaster emergency (although the federal emergency declaration remains in effect). Since that time, the state Department of Health has begun issuing new guidance rescinding emergency-era changes in regulation and procedure. (See related stories here, here and here.)
HCA has already made specific recommendations of emergency measures that should continue, given the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on agency operations. (See our table of recommendations here.)
“Providers and managed long term care plans continue to require regulatory and fiscal considerations to support each sector’s capability to provide services, protect patients, support the workforce to address severe shortages and maintain the operational efficiencies provided in the state’s COVID-era Executive Orders, state directives, waivers and other procedural guidance,” write HCA, LeadingAge New York, and HCP in our letter. “Flexibility and support in these areas are especially critical to addressing the dire workforce shortages for paraprofessionals and professionals.”
HCA will report back on updates from our continuing, multi-level discussions with state officials on regulatory relief.