Covid Is Officially Ending. What Does It Mean for Healthcare Providers?
When the state of emergency ends, many waivers will expire as well. Stay up-to-date with your staffing and licensing requirements to make a smooth transition.
In mid-October, California Governor Newsom announced that California’s COVID-19 state of emergency will officially end on February 28, 2023. The emergency’s ending will terminate a few key mechanisms California used during the public health emergency to lighten the burden on providers.
The public health emergency waived various healthcare professionals’ staffing and licensing requirements. When the state of emergency ends, these waivers will expire. Thus, the staffing and licensing requirements reflected in the California Health and Safety Code, as well as those in individual practice acts like the Medical Practice Act, will again take effect and be subject to full enforcement after February 28.
While some of California’s waivers from earlier in the pandemic have already ended, California healthcare providers should be on alert for the next few months. Review communications from your professional associations and licensing authorities, and keep track of any remaining waivers that might affect you. Up-to-date knowledge will help practices, providers, and patients experience a smooth transition to post-pandemic patient care.
What to Do Next
Our most pressing recommendations to California healthcare providers for the next three months include:
- Consolidating any documentation you may need if you took advantage of a licensure waiver to help you renew your license before February 28, 2023;
- Completing any continuing education required to keep your license in good standing; and
- Re-familiarizing yourself with the licensure and practice requirements set forth by the California licensing board governing your profession.
Healthcare providers should also stay alert for any applicable federal waivers that California received during the pandemic that may be affected by the termination of the state of emergency in California. COVID-19-Waivers (ca.gov) provides a helpful list of state and federal waivers.
For other healthcare providers in Jackson LLP’s practice states, here is an update on states with intact public health emergency declarations and newly expired declarations:
- New York: expired September 12, 2022
- Illinois: extended on November 10, 2022, for 30 days
- Wisconsin: ended March 2021
- Washington, DC: expired April 16, 2022
If you’re a practice owner struggling to make sense of healthcare’s rapidly changing legal environment, our attorneys can help. We work with practices and healthcare businesses in several states. To learn more about our services, schedule a free consultation.
This blog is made for educational purposes and is not intended to be specific legal advice to any particular person. It does not create an attorney-client relationship between our firm and the reader and should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.