November 4, 2021

Dear USET/USET SPF Family,

Today, November 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it has issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all health care staff at facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The IFR is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, November 5, 2021, with comments due 60 days after publication.

CMS is hosting a webinar on this action TODAY and has encouraged administrators and representatives of staff employed at Medicare and Medicaid certified facilities to attend. Details on the webinar are as follows—

• Date/Time: TODAY, November 4, 2021 at 2:00pm ET
• DEADLINE TO REGISTER: 12:00pm ET
• Click Here to Register

CMS is requesting that questions be submitted in advance of the webinar with the email subject heading “IFC-6 Stakeholder Call Question” to Partnership@cms.hhs.gov. To view a list of frequently asked questions, please click here. CMS has also indicated that it will post an updated FAQ document following today’s webinar.

For more information, please contact Brian Howard, USET SPF Senior Policy Analyst, at bhoward@usetinc.org.

Established in 2014, the USET Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization advocating on behalf of thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET SPF is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and advancing the inherent sovereign rights and authorities of Tribal Nations and in assisting its membership in dealing effectively with public policy issues.