Sixteen states again are challenging a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers who work at facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.
The filing on Friday (Feb. 4) in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana comes after the issuance of final guidance on the mandate from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS), arguing the guidance is an action that is reviewable.
Tennessee joined Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia in the new filing.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled by 5-4 vote on January 13 against the original Louisiana challenge to the mandate and a similar Missouri filing. The first Louisiana filing initially led to a nationwide injunction in late November. A federal court dismissed a similar Texas lawsuit following the Supreme Court ruling.
“We are renewing a challenge to the CMS vaccine mandate in court so Tennessee health care workers have the right to private health care decisions,” Tennessee Gov. Lee said. “While this mandate represents the worst of federal overreach, it also threatens our ability to staff facilities and provide care for the elderly, disabled and other high-priority populations.”
