July 19, 202`1. How Concerned Are the Median Justices About Administrative Overreach? But the Supreme Courts decision will likely control the outcomes in those courts because the Supreme Court will express its view on whether the mandates are likely lawful. In a reversal of its previous position, CMS announced on Dec. 28 that it would begin enforcing its vaccine mandate as to facilities in the states where the mandate is not currently judicially enjoined. But Judge Suttons concluding line, stating that [t]he Court should grant the petition for initial hearing en banc and leave the Fifth Circuits stay of the emergency rule in place, strongly suggests that the three-judge panel will lift the Fifth Circuit stay and allow the OSHA vaccine mandate to go into effect. Louisiana AG's office will present SCOTUS arguments against Biden's CMS The time has come for the Biden administration to follow the science. But it is unlikely that the Sixth Circuit will tailor the injunction in that way; the most likely result is either upholding or vacating the Fifth Circuits stay wholesale. A court temporarily blocks Biden's vaccine mandate. The CMS mandate was implemented through an Interim Final Rule in November. H-2B Cap for Fiscal Year 2023 Is Met: A Supplemental Cap Increase As COVID-19 Emergency Waivers End, DEA Proposes to Expand Tele- How Employers Need to Prepare for the End of the COVID Public Health USPTO To Transition To Electronically Granted Patents In April 2023, Reductions in Force: Some High-Level Issues To Consider, CMS Streamlines Stark Law Self-Referral Disclosure Protocol (SRDP), The Alice Eligibility Two-Step Dance Continues, FTC is Talking Trash and Zeroing-in on Recyclable Claims, FTC Hosts Forum on Proposed Rule to Ban Noncompete Clauses. CMS also will enforce its vaccine mandate in the District of Columbia and the territories. The injunction resulting from the Louisiana litigation covers all states except for the10 states which already prevailed in their challenge to the CMS vaccine mandate. The federal government also contends that it is being irreparably injured by the Missouri and Louisiana preliminary injunctions and that the public interest favors allowing the CMS vaccine mandate to go into effect while the Eighth and Fifth Circuits consider the federal governments appeals. The motion asks for the full court to overrule the three-judge panels order denying Florida an injunction pending appeal, and similar motions are rarely granted. In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court has set for oral argument on Jan. 7 both (1) the emergency applications to stay the Missouri and Louisiana district court injunctions judicially enjoining the CMS mandate in 25 states and (2) the emergency applications to re-stay the OSHA mandate. The content and links on www.NatLawReview.comare intended for general information purposes only. So while the cases return to the courts of appeals for further proceedings, it is very unlikely that the courts of appeals will reach a conclusion different than the Supreme Courts on the stay applications. With the CMS rule enjoined, any preemptive effect it might have likely also is enjoined. HELENA A federal judge in Louisiana has granted a preliminary injunction against the COVID-19 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine mandate following a lawsuit filed by. Finally, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which is hearing Floridas appeal from the Florida district courts order denying a preliminary injunction, asked for a response to Floridas motion for an injunction pending appeal from the federal government by tomorrow, Dec. 3. CMS-covered providers and suppliers, as well as indirectly affected third parties that provide services at covered providers and suppliers, are left without certainty. But the panel held that the distinctions were not so obvious that the federal government had shown the necessary likelihood of success on appeal to stay the Louisiana district courts preliminary injunction. Health care workers face March 15 vaccination deadline after - CNN Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is leading the charge against. Feb. 28 is the deadline to receive your second dose or to receive an approved medical . 22 states file petition for CMS to repeal vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. First, the federal government, as expected, has appealed the Louisiana district courts almost-nationwide injunction to the U.S. Court of Appeals to the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. Ms. Skubas defends employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations and state and federal FMLA violations. Noting that [o]ther courts are considering these same issues, the Fifth Circuit concluded that [t]he vaccine rule is an issue of great significance currently being litigated throughout the country and that [it]s ultimate resolution will benefit from airing of competing views in other courts. A federal court decided to halt one of those vaccine mandates. Federal Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Health Workers - The New York The result of the motion to hear the case initially en banc, then, may strongly influence the result of the motion to lift the Fifth Circuits stay. A second coalition of states is taking the Biden administration to court over arguments that the nationwide COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers is unlawfu An update on the federal CMS vaccine mandate - President The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the challengers from the Missouri and Louisiana CMS vaccine-mandate cases to respond to the federal governments application to stay those district courts preliminary injunctions by Dec. 30 at 4 p.m. Vaccination Enforcement- Surveying for Compliance Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities are expected to comply with all regulatory requirements, and CMS has a variety of establis hed enforcement remedies. Guidance for the Interim Final Rule - Medicare and Medicaid - CMS Justice Kavanaugh likewise stated that he thought an express directive from Congress was necessary before OSHA imposed a mandate. Louisiana federal judge blocks Biden vaccine mandate for health care If the court takes the case initially en banc, presumably the full court will decide whether to lift the Fifth Circuits stay or not. But the Supreme Court can move fast when it wants to, and my guess is that we will see an order from the high court before the end of the year. ON APPLICATIONS FOR STAYS [January 13, 2022] . Then theres the OSHA vaccine mandate. First, the Eleventh Circuits order promises that [o]pinions will follow, meaning that the federal government will soon have a written decision from a federal appeals court taking its side. Her practice is focused on employment litigation, preventive counseling and labor relations. Louisiana joins 11 other states in suit over COVID vaccine mandate for Happy Thursday! National Law Review, Volume XI, Number 335, Public Services, Infrastructure, Transportation, The Benefits of Donating Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets. The third mandate is the one at issue here: the Administration has coopted the Medicare and Medicaid system to impose a vaccine on 17 million healthcare workers. Appeals Court Lets Biden's Healthcare Worker Vaccine Mandate - Forbes Nov. 30, 2021). The preliminary injunction by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana marks the second victory for opponents of the mandate, which requires health workers to get vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022. What to Look for in Fridays Vaccine Mandate Oral Arguments. In the OSHA-mandate arguments, the median Justices were concerned that OSHAs vaccine mandate was not tailored to workplace hazards and instead intruded on Congress and states role to protect the general welfare. the general public of the preclusive effect on the CMS Vaccine Mandate of the Western District of Louisiana's preliminary injunction." Within hours after the Fifth Circuit decision on December 15, 2021, narrowing the Louisiana injunction only to the party states in that case, the district court on the Texas case However, following the issuance of the two injunctions in Missouri and Louisiana, CMS issued an update to its vaccine mandate FAQs that included the following statement: "While CMS remains confident in its authority to protect the health and safety of patients in facilities funded by the Medicare and Medicaid programs, it has suspended . Stephen Waguespack, president and chief executive officer of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the state's largest and most influential business lobbyist, said mandating. To request permission to reproduce AHA content, please click here. She argued that the OSHA mandate exceeded OSHAs statutory authority and that it failed under the major-questions doctrine. Nationwide Injunction of CMS Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers New vaccine mandate lawsuit claims Biden administration is coercing In a 38-page opinion for the panel majority, Judge Jane Stranch stated that OSHA likely acted within its statutory authority in issuing the mandate; that the OSHA mandate likely was not barred by the major-questions doctrine; that OSHA likely had an adequate basis for implementing the mandate; and that the OSHA mandate is likely constitutional. Like the CMS vaccine mandate, the OSHA mandate is now ripe for a Supreme Court ruling about whether to stay the mandate pending the Sixth Circuits review. Mandatory Arbitration Agreements Remain Valid in California, Antitrust Practitioners Expect Activity With Climate Issues. Other Justices picked up on that hypothetical, and even the attorney representing the private businesses challenging the mandate conceded that a vaccinate-or-test mandate in the health care context might be justified. Other covered employers who were not considering a mandatory vaccine requirement may return to their policy of not requiring vaccination, subject to any applicable state law mandates. And following the arguments, I will have summaries here and will be doing a podcast with AHA Deputy General Counsel Chad Golder breaking down the key takeaways for hospitals. LOUISIANA, ET AL. CMS last week issued an interim final rule requiring most health care facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs to have their staff fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Jan. 4, 2022a rule CMS said was issued to protect both the public and the health care workforce. We are now waiting on the Sixth Circuit to act on two motions. The federal governments application argues that the Missouri and Louisiana district courts misconstrued the Medicare and Medicaid statutes, that issuing the mandate without notice and comment was necessary given the ongoing pandemic, and that the agency considered all relevant information in reaching its decision. In their questions, the three Justices drew a distinction between the CMS mandate, which merely states that the federal government will only spend its health care dollars at facilities with vaccinated staff, and the OSHA mandate, which the Justices viewed as an expansive direct regulation of American workplaces normally left to states or Congress. 2. And with further appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court a certainty after the courts of appeals rule, we may not know the ultimate fate of the CMS vaccine mandate pending appeal until Christmas or even the end of 2021. The federal government also contends that the OSH Acts direction that OSHA assure so far as possible every working man in the workman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions overcomes the challengers major-questions-doctrine arguments. Second, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, which is hearing the federal governments appeal from the Missouri district courts preliminary injunction, has asked for a response to the federal governments stay motion by Dec. 8. On Friday, I will be live-tweeting the oral arguments at @smmarotta. And because the CMS mandate is only an interim measure, the Supreme Courts action on the federal governments forthcoming application may decide, practically speaking, whether the current CMS mandate ever goes into effect before it is superseded by a final, permanent mandate. The Court has only once heard oral argument on a stay application in the modern era so there is no way to know, exactly, when the Court will act. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana has granted a preliminary injunction enjoining the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate nationwide. The ruling stated CMS lacked clear authorization from Congress to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit split evenly, 8-8, in declining to hear the case initially en banc, meaning by the entire court as opposed to a three-judge panel. CMS has, however, modified the compliance dates for the mandate. If the court denies initial hearing en banc, then a 3-judge panel will decide whether to lift the stay, and the ideological composition of that panel may not match the overall conservative bent of the court as a whole. The National Law Review is a free to use, no-log in database of legal and business articles. They argue that CMS did not adequately consider that the mandate might cause staffing shortages. The Eleventh Circuits opinion is and is intended to be a counterweight to the Louisiana and Missouri district court opinions finding the CMS mandate unlawful. Joel Zinberg. Nov 23, 2021, 15:45 PM. Conventional wisdom says that Justices Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch are sure votes against the mandates and that Justices Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan are sure votes in favor of the mandates. CMS Interim Final Rule (IFR) On November 4, 2021, CMS issued its IFR (effective November 5, 2021) regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid. The federal government has not yet appealed the Louisiana district courts decision, but we expect it to do so soon and to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to stay the preliminary injunction pending appeal. Florida has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and has sought an injunction pending appeal from the appeals court. The Florida district court acted first and denied Floridas request for a preliminary injunction. The federal government has until Dec. 10 to file its reply and the motion will then be ripe for decision by the Sixth Circuit. CMS Vaccine Mandate Blocked by Federal District Court We have three small updates in the pending challenges to the CMS vaccine mandate. Legislative Package Includes Bills to Advance Biofuels Research, PTO to Begin Issuing Electronic Patent Grants, OSHA to Expand the Use of Instance-by-Instance Penalties. NLRB Places New Limitations on Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Settlement Will Benefit Many Aging-Out Children in the Green Card SEC Commissioner Discusses Reform to Regulation D, Massachusetts AG Settles Enforcement Action Against Auto Lender. Chief Justice Roberts, for instance, repeatedly asked the CMS mandate challengers whether the Spending Clause context makes it different than the OSHA mandate. v. Becerra et al.,No. Currently, CMS doesn't require any vaccinations for health care workers. Federal Judge Halts Enforcement of Health Worker Vaccine Mandate Facilities in the 25 states where the mandate is not enjoined must also comply with phase 2 of the mandate staff at all health care provider and supplier types included in the regulation must complete the primary vaccination series or have obtained an exemption by Feb. 28, 2022. The majority further determined that Florida had not proved irreparable harm and that neither the balance of harms or the public interest warranted an injunction pending appeal. A stay granted by a federal appeals court in Louisiana could signal an uphill battle for the administration in getting the entire American . The Court will hear arguments on the two mandates separately, but, as of right now, we do not know in which order. First, we have the federal governments Fifth Circuit appeal of the Louisiana district courts order enjoining the CMS mandate almost nationwide. Any legal analysis, legislative updates or other content and links should not be construed as legal or professional advice or a substitute for such advice. A federal judge in Louisiana on Dec. 2 declined a case brought by 14 states challenging the Biden administration's rule that requires COVID-19 vaccination for eligible staff at healthcare. The court recognized that the CMS vaccine mandate goes further than what [CMS] has done in the past to implement infection control but also that CMS has never had to address an infection problem of this scale and scope before. And the court noted that vaccine requirements are common in the health care setting and that healthcare workers and public-health organizations overwhelmingly support the CMS mandate, which suggests that a vaccination requirement under these circumstances is a straightforward and predictable example of the health and safety regulations that Congress has authorized [CMS] to impose..