Legislators Reconvene for Special Session
Oklahoma legislators headed back to the Capitol today to approve new maps for Oklahoma's five congressional districts, 48 state Senate districts and 101 House districts. The process, usually held during regular session, was delayed due to a late release of census data. Read more.
Reminder: Oklahoma Pricing Transparency Requirement
As of November 1, health centers and other health care providers in Oklahoma are required by HB 1006 to post information about their prices on their website, In order to help health centers comply, OKPCA has produced a Price Transparency Worksheet. The worksheet includes a template form that can be customized and exported to post on health center websites. View the pricing transparency worksheet in the OKPCA portal. Contact cheit@okpca.org with questions or to be added to the OKPCA member portal.
Vaccine Mandate Rules Published
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an emergency regulation last week requiring COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also issued emergency guidance for federal workers, federal contractors, and anyone employed by a company with 100 or more employees.
Resources are available to help health centers comply with the CMS rule:
Importantly, the interim final rule requires that community health centers have a detailed set of policies and procedures relating to the federal vaccine mandate in place by December 6, 2021. Details of what must be addressed in the policies and procedures are laid out in the new regulatory language for health centers. Health center boards should approve of the policies. The rule also clarified that the mandate does not apply to CHC employees or contractors who exclusively provide telehealth or other services from outside of any CHC sites and never have direct contact with patients or other staff. The rule does apply, however, to volunteers including board members who set foot inside any health center site.
Upcoming deadlines:
- By, December 6, 2021:
- All staff must have:
- received their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine OR
- received their only dose of the J&J vaccine OR
- a temporary delay for medical reasons OR
- requested a medical or religious exemption.
- Community health centers must have developed and implemented appropriate policies and procedures to comply with the vaccine mandate.
- By January 4, 2022:
- All staff who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine must receive their second dose.
- All unvaccinated staff must either:
- have received approval for a medical or religious exemption, and be receiving accommodations that OR
- have a CDC-supported reason for temporarily delaying getting a COVID vaccine.
- Health centers must have implemented additional precautions to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID for accommodated individuals.
ACA Marketplace Open Through January 15
The Marketplace Open Enrollment Period on www.HealthCare.gov runs from November 1, 2021 to January 15, 2022. Consumers who enroll by midnight on December 15 can get full year coverage that starts January 1. This year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is focusing on increasing access to assistance for Marketplace consumers, ensuring robust outreach and education efforts to reach consumers about the opportunity to enroll or re-enroll in Marketplace coverage. CMS has also committed to raising awareness around low-cost plans for 2022, as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). More information can be found here. |