Last Updated on December 3, 2021
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency responsible for administering the government healthcare programs, has issued a memo suspending their enforcement of Joe Biden’s costly and controversial vaccine mandate.
The memorandum, posted to social media by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt explains that CMS “will not enforce the new rule regarding vaccination of health care workers or requirements for policies and proecudes” due to “court-ordered injunctions in place prohibiting enforcement of this provision.”
The memo cites separate decisions from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, which have both issued injunctions against Joe Biden’s mandate, effectively stopping it before it can begin.
“CMS has appealed both of these decisions, and has filed motions for stays of these orders,” the federal agency added. The stays will also prevent CMS from surveying healthcare providers to determine whether they have been vaccinated.
“CMS recently issued a memo suspending enforcement of their vaccine mandate on health care workers,” wrote Schmitt, who said the victory came “following our win in court halting the mandate on Monday.”
BREAKING: CMS recently issued a memo suspending enforcement of their vaccine mandate on health care workers following our win in court halting the mandate on Monday. pic.twitter.com/jQ2i9nUiO2
— Attorney General Eric Schmitt (@AGEricSchmitt) December 2, 2021
Regarding the victory achieved by Schmitt in Missouri, National File reported on November 29:
The judge’s order states, “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendants are preliminarily enjoined from the implementation and enforcement of 86 Fed. Reg. 61,555 (Nov. 5, 2021), the Interim Final Rule with Comment Period entitled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID–19 Health Care Staff Vaccination,” against any and all Medicare– and Medicaid–certified providers and suppliers within the States of Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming pending a trial on the merits of this action or until further order of this Court.“
“Defendants shall immediately cease all implementation or enforcement of the Interim Final Rule with Comment Period as to any Medicare– and Medicaid–certified providers and suppliers within the States of Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming,’ the court added.
