Under a draft Trump administration plan obtained by The New York Times, nursing homes would no longer be required to report weekly COVID-19, influenza, and RSV case numbers. The draft agrees with industry objections that the mandatory submissions are burdensome, though federal health officials have not yet formally published or implemented the change.
The Shift Away From Weekly Viral Tracking
The draft summary targets data collection requirements finalized in late 2024 by the Biden administration, which made COVID-19 reporting permanent and added influenza and respiratory syncytial virus to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network. Currently, approximately 15,000 CMS-certified nursing homes report weekly vaccinations, cases, and hospitalizations every Thursday. If enacted, the new rule would eliminate those weekly updates while also removing mandates that facilities educate staff on COVID-19 vaccines and offer them, according to reporting by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.
Industry groups argue that the weekly reporting duplicates other federal and state data streams. Holly Harmon, senior vice president of quality, regulatory, and clinical affairs for the American Health Care Association, stated that eliminating the requirement is reasonable and prudent given that the public health emergency ended more than three years ago, adding that nursing homes remain committed to vaccination efforts.
Data Trends and Vaccination Gaps
Federal dashboard figures show why public health advocates rely on the weekly snapshots as respiratory virus season begins. COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents dropped to 13.8 per 100,000 residents in June before climbing to 171.7 per 100,000 by September 17, remaining well below the two-year peak of 717.6 per 100,000 recorded in January 2025.
The weekly reports also track persistent vaccination gaps across facilities. Mid-September figures indicate that 56.9% of residents had received a flu vaccine, 35.3% were up to date on COVID-19 shots, and 23.2% had received an RSV vaccine. Meanwhile, staff COVID-19 vaccination rates stood at 19.6%. The current draft summary does not name a comparable national replacement source to track these infection rates and vaccination coverages.
Implications for Families and Residents
Advocates for long-term care residents have expressed concern over the potential rollback. Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, noted that low staffing and high turnover leave little reason to assume facilities have strengthened their baseline infection control protocols since the pandemic. Families monitoring facilities for older adults—particularly those over 75 or individuals with underlying heart, lung, kidney, or immune conditions—rely on these metrics to gauge localized outbreaks during high-risk seasons.
Because the plan remains a draft summary rather than a formal proposed rule, no operational changes have taken effect. Any formal proposal would typically be subject to a public comment period before final adoption by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
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