News | October 12, 2021 Federal judge upholds vaccine mandate for hospital system Stay current with healthcare and senior care provider regulatory trends, news and solutions delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter. Sign me up Get Solutions Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. MANDATE DEBATE Federal judge upholds vaccine mandate: balancing “private equities and public equities” Judge upholds vaccine mandate, at a time when many vaccine mandate deadlines are upon us and employees continue to argue that the mandate infringes on their constitutional rights. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge David Bunning said that plaintiffs (employees of St. Elizabeth Healthcare) made it clear that they were suspicious of the Covid19 vaccine. However, he wrote: “Actual liberty for all of us cannot exist where individual liberties override potential injury done to others.” Read the whole story UNVACCINATED SURCHARGES Louisiana’s largest nonprofit health system increases insurance fees for workers with unvaccinated spouses. Health insurance premium surcharges are not the same as vaccine mandates, but they will improve vaccination rates. Ochsner Health, said that it was adding the extra charge — about $200 a month — for unvaccinated spouses and domestic partners who are covered by the company’s insurance plan. “The reality is the cost of treating Covid-19, particularly for patients requiring intensive inpatient care, is expensive.” Read more DEFENSE STRATEGY Early Case Valuation from a Medical Standpoint: What Counsel Needs to Know Knowing the details of claimed damages is critical in early case valuation. Counsel must assess many factors including legal liabilities and potential costs, similar cases and verdicts, claims of pain and suffering, bills, and medical records. Excelas, LLC provides defense counsel a standard process of retrieving and reviewing the medical information to reduce overall litigation costs. The process allows counsel to focus on the legal issues while shortening the cycle of case valuation and ultimate resolution. Learn more WORKFORCE Turning residents away may be only option for nursing homes to operate Long term care facilities in Pennsylvania are considering turning new resident admissions away due to ongoing workforce shortages. Pennsylvania Health Care Association recently completed a survey which revealed that 74% of respondents have had to limit or put admissions on hold within the past six months. “A direct care workforce shortage means that a state with one of the oldest populations in the country will be unable to meet its obligation to our senior citizens, forcing elderly patients to remain in hospitals, or return home without the resources and support they need.” Read more Excelas is a national provider of medical record organization, retrieval and analysis helping skilled nursing organizations reduce risk exposures associated with gaps in record keeping, which could affect audit scores, reduce defense costs, and shorten the claims lifecycle. Post Tags: early case valuation penalties for unvaccinated turning away new resident admissions vaccine mandates