AHA Says Arkansas Hospitals Must Follow Federal Mandate Laws

Officials with the Arkansas Hospital Association (AHA) say hospitals that do not comply with a federal vaccine mandate could be shut down.

In less than a month, healthcare workers in the state will have to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose after the Supreme Court ruled it into law last week.

KATV reports AHA executive vice president Jodiane Tritt says hospitals have to follow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations. Tritt says CMS is a federal program that provides reimbursement to hospitals that care for patients with Medicare or Medicaid.

Tritt said hospitals will also lose millions of dollars if they don’t comply with the mandate. She says there is a concern about losing healthcare employees because of the new law.