hk%qJ x$ArMlShmxS}{z(XdWFFFf #^ZnRwIy-jz&nV#rkfw&RyVk7nWn?2oy[O?o^l/?mu5|~cJ{nBZ5k{|/z|ygoxo_zuo_wo^pOo_,?|s }s?o_>7WwY25?O>LzujJ>~]jW_UY}W? Florida employees can choose to be exempt from private employer vaccine mandates for: Specifically, in regards to employers' COVID-19 . CMS health care providers must work to have 100% of their staff vaccinated by February 28, 2022, according to a two-phase timeline. The Pentagon on Tuesday released guidelines for how service members could request a religious exemption in lieu of getting the coronavirus vaccine. Health-care facilities do need to be careful to comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars them from discriminating against employees based on religion. The Office of the Vice President for Diversity & Community Affairs (ODCA) will process forms requesting religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination for employees and TC housing affiliates. j+Zc36 > CMS is not likely to second guess or penalize an employer who decides to grant a religious exemption based on an employees professed and documented sincerely held religious belief. Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. endstream endobj 672 0 obj <>stream Failure to adequately document religious exemption requests may subject employers to certain penalties outlined in the Interim Rule including civil monetary penalties, denial of payment for new admissions, or termination of the Medicare/Medicaid provider agreement depending on the type of facility involved. 8>q)`FPJ..aYB:hUuE+]0V%a !|B* aYL_rQ@:oqey_=|-7Fy1iUjv&yF .kRx1V&V:#.e17U^8PR#">g|g+gg0.j Europe: Is Eltif 2.0 a More Viable Structure for Long-Term Investment in the EU? For disasters like hurricanes or pandemics, CMS will post updates on the. Documentation of vaccination from a health care provider or electronic health record. Is the Religious Belief Sincerely Held? 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244, An official website of the United States government. CMS does not want the extraordinary or extenuating circumstance to unduly increase provider burden, nor does CMS want to negatively impact a hospice providers annual payment update (APU) and compliance with HQRP requirements during this time. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. "It can be a personal, sincerely held religious belief which arises from the very nature of freedom and religion articulated in the First Amendment," Domenique Camacho Moran, a New York-based labor attorney told CBS News. endstream endobj 175 0 obj <>/Metadata 36 0 R/Pages 172 0 R/StructTreeRoot 62 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences 194 0 R>> endobj 176 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 172 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 177 0 obj <>stream What is required for employers to comply with the Religious Exemption under the Interim Rule? Saving Lives, Protecting People, School Vaccination Requirements and Exemptions, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. What is the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption and what types of contractors may qualify? MMWR 2013; 62:685-693. Many employees have resorted to the religious exemption to avoid vaccination requirements; however, this exemption is narrower than most people realize. or g ov. EPA Releases Proposed Approach for Considering Cumulative Risks under Revised Colorado Privacy Act Rules Adopted for Review by Colorado AG. An employee may have a sincerely held religious belief even if it differs from the tenets of an organized religion or the beliefs of a particular religious leader. Copyright Holland & Hart LLP 1995-2023 All Rights Reserved. In the near future, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the North Carolina Division of Occupational Safety and Health (NC OSH) are likely to require most larger employers to adopt a vaccine mandate (see here).Vaccine mandates are lawful, subject only to . On March 1, 2023, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published the "Rescission of Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clauses Religious Exemption Rule" in the Federal Register. If you require legal or professional advice, kindly contact an attorney or other suitable professional advisor. The Supreme Court has recognized that the First Amendment establishes a ministerial exception from employment discrimination laws. The parent refused a dose of vaccine for their child. This two-phase plan includes criteria for: reaching compliance, On November 5, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published regulations that established the first ever federal vaccination requirements for health care provider. AG Clamps Down on Local Solar and Battery Storage Moratoria. Employees just need to prove that their opposition to the vaccine is religious in nature, as opposed to political or personal. Hospice Quality Reporting Program Archives. One of the touchstones of the Supreme Court ideologically is religion, and theres a determined five-member majority of the court that might preference religion over public health, Gostin said. Covid Vaccine Mandate Religious Exemptions Give Hospitals Leeway Feb. 25, 2022, 2:35 AM Hospitals can choose to grant or deny all requests Facilities must weigh litigation, safety, workforce concerns Understaffed hospitals that don't want to lose employees to the Biden administration's Covid-19 vaccine mandate have an out. The rescission of the 2020 religious exemption rule effectively restores OFCCPs longstanding policy and practice and, as such, does not affect implementation of the Guidelines. Religion is broadly defined by the U.S. South Dakota Gov. Jim Justice, Youngkin asked the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services for a "limited waiver" that would give Virginia hospitals more flexibility when it came to staff vaccine requirements. ) YpQ5! y*kV. By comparison, OFCCPs 2020 religious exemption rule: (1) created a test for qualifying religious organizations that deviated from the Title VII case law that governs interpretation of the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption; (2) imposed a broad rule of construction that could exempt qualifying religious organizations from Executive Order 11246s nondiscrimination requirements on protected grounds other than religion, which was inconsistent with the presidential intent that the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption should be construed consistent with the Title VII exemption on which it is based; and, in its preamble, (3) espoused an inappropriately categorical approach to how OFCCP would handle potential Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) claims, including an incorrect assertion that, in assessing such claims, OFCCPs interests in prohibiting discrimination in government contracting are compelling only with respect to race discrimination. 1. Midland Health, a hospital in Texas, received 209 religious exemption requests and granted 207 of them, said Public Relations Manager Tasa Richardson. Data submission for HIS and/orCAHPS is waived for a specified time period. Justice and Commerce Departments Announce Creation of Disruptive United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Biden Executive Order 14091 Strengthens Equity for Federal Agencies. If no clear evidence to support the need is given, the request will be denied. Many employees are invoking religion to avoid getting the vaccine. Each request will be carefully reviewed according to the established guidelines and contraindications for approved COVID-19 vaccinations. Understaffed hospitals that dont want to lose employees to the Biden administrations Covid-19 vaccine mandate have an out. An example of a temple is The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force's "request for a religious exception to the . #block-googletagmanagerheader .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } In this scenario, the employee whose practice is based upon a sincerely held religious belief qualifies for religious exemption whereas the employee who engages in the same practices but for secular reasons might not qualify for accommodation. A religious belief need not be associated with a widely recognized or organized religion and may conflict with religious beliefs of such organized religions. The forms to file exemptions can be found on www.floridahealth. This means employers can move everywhere from granting no religious exemptions to being very flexible and open to all religious exemptions, based on their priorities, said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of health and constitutional law and director of Georgetown Universitys ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law. Additionally, over the past several years, vaccination coverage measured using data from the National Immunization Survey indicate that <1% of children 1935 months received no vaccines of any type. This story was updated Nov. 17 with comment from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Still, health-care facilities may choose not to be overly strict. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Form: GSA19R Request for a Religious Exception to the COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement Form is for GSA employee use only. Identify which reporting requirement the extension/exemption is being requested for (i.e., HIS, CAHPS, or both). This may include COVID-19 testing, wearing masks, social distancing, work reassignments, and other precautions. This policy applies to both the Hospice Item Set (HIS) and the Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. 2. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The rescission will ensure that OFCCP interprets and applies the religious exemption consistently with Title VII case law, which reflects that qualifying religious employers generally may make decisions about whether to employ individuals based on acceptance of and adherence to religious tenets, but only as long as those decisions do not violate the other nondiscrimination provisions, apart from the prohibition on religious discrimination. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. The CMS COVID-19 vaccination mandate, available at: CMS Final Rule: Vaccine Mandate, requires certain . Learn more about a Bloomberg Law subscription. Photo Illustration: Jonathan Hurtarte/Bloomberg Law; Photos: Getty Images, Supreme Court Spurns Bid for Religious Opt-Out From Vaccine Rule, Health-Care Strike Risk Runs High as Hundreds of Labor Deals End, Supreme Court Blocks Bidens Shot-or-Test Rule for Workers (2), Hospital Workers Rejected at Supreme Court on Vaccine Mandate, High Court Allows Vaccine Mandate Without Religious Opt-Out (1), Hospitals can choose to grant or deny all requests, Facilities must weigh litigation, safety, workforce concerns. Waters of the United States and Winston Churchill. Your medical provider must complete Part 2 of this form. Insofar as the application of any requirement would violate RFRA, such application shall not be required. Ron DeSantis Signs Bills Regarding Vaccine . Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, A form or statement from the employee that addresses (i) the specific COVID-19 vaccine that, if administered, would conflict with the employees religious beliefs; (ii) the religion or religious beliefs upon which the employee is basing his or her religious accommodation request; and (iii) the specific tenets of the religious beliefs, practices or observances which require religious accommodation; and. To receive an exemption, a worker must participate in their employer's interactive process. hZr6,*"lLRd;vU;VL2D1a>>' [#g*A${}JX2t(afq&bBgH&fI*F0i#l~11n[af\q)7Ls[+)O"aZb^Q*NY\"sLbra@Da#,,G(PDDH&khD@c CiIrq7i9VNXYG4Z+HbHDZgN+s@# *$`tO(@c %DX2HI!I0s0"hT@:@W:^Ba "AO"8~T#I 1HR)I$LD1(AV Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Agreements with Non-Supervisory USCIS Confirms It Will Accept Employment-Based I-485 Applications New Jersey Enacts Bill of Rights for Temporary Workers, DOJ Implements Nationwide Voluntary Self-Disclosure Program. All but three states offer nonmedical exemptions for religious or philosophical reasons. Whether the religious exemption applies is a highly fact-specific inquiry that depends on the particular employment scenario at issue. They can freely accept religious exemption requests, no matter their validity, and still be compliant in the eyes of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, several labor and employment lawyers said. For example, one employee might observe dietary restrictions for religious reasons while another employee observes the same dietary restrictions for health or environmental reasons. Just because one employee is granted a religious accommodation does not mean that an employer must grant all similar requests. All states and the District of Columbia allow a medical exemption. Accommodations such as regular testing or shifting to remote work may not be possible or practical in the health-care industry. Licenses for Exports to Are You Ready for the UPC? The problem is that the same people who eagerly promote anti-vaccine misinformation are just as eager to misuse religion to avoid . ol{list-style-type: decimal;} .usa-footer .container {max-width:1440px!important;} .MscsjKTaU1k+>JmOULiL"JSH&?J!Qw_oQM|S $ T$>Ne:lD`@Pi0 kxZ/>iQ= F_@B/oGLg+=|? The federal government requires COVID-19 vaccination for staff within Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities in Colorado. You can decide how often to receive updates. Since September, we have required vaccinations for employees. 61561, 61616-61627. Legislative Package Includes Bills to Advance Biofuels Research, PTO to Begin Issuing Electronic Patent Grants, OSHA to Expand the Use of Instance-by-Instance Penalties. exemptions to the vaccination requirements, or those staff for whom COVID-19 vaccination must . Basics . .cd-main-content p, blockquote {margin-bottom:1em;} A: The emergency regulation is effective as of November 5, 2021. CAHPS is waived for a specified time period. To help clients avoid litigation, Dan regularly performs internal investigations and You are responsible for reading, understanding and agreeing to the National Law Review's (NLRs) and the National Law Forum LLC's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before using the National Law Review website. Religious Exemption Forms - Unless one is provided by an organization, there is no official form. means youve safely connected to the .gov website. A facility's failure to comply . wNQ*nifQUWR]i 'wpn$&~4_c)D4T.D`=&4*~MD=1PYbr,E> ^k}pY(8 !JWQ> O Rf|pyJ[(r^URRn@'J+oTeUgoDkP6%IPjys?e@6evOyy W&!g.AIfUpMM[Csy`^L=O=|>] TR11j8;;`g+_7n8! If granted an extension, the hospice is still responsible for submitting data collected during the timeframe in question; the extension allows the provider to submit the data late (e.g., 30-45 days past the deadline) for a specified timeframe, without any negative impact on HQRP compliance/APU. Does rescinding the 2020 religious exemption rule affect OFCCPs Guidelines on Discrimination Because of Religion or National Origin? CDC twenty four seven. The request must include the following information: The request for extension or exemptionmust be accompanied by supporting documentation demonstrating the need. The ministerial exception prohibits the government from interfering with the ability of certain religious organizations to make employment decisions about its ministers, a category that includes, but is not limited to, clergy. How Modern Manufacturing Plants Can Protect Against Ransomware, FTC Will Host May 23, 2023, Workshop on Recyclable Claims and the Appellate Court Affirmed An Order Denying A Beneficiarys Request For An Overview of Why Class Action Privacy Lawsuits May Have Just Gotten Gold Dome Report Legislative Day 26 (2023). hbbd```b``A$S24nC`2LI0& 70)"Y\a N\f`ha`@ 9 The U.S. Supreme Court today allowed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services vaccine mandate to go into effect nationwide while blocking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's vaccine requirements from taking effect. What steps has OFCCP taken to educate the public on the rescission of the 2020 religious exemption rule (e.g., workshops, webinars, and the issuance of other guidance materials)? 2105 DOWNLOAD THIS FORM: Choose a link below to begin downloading. CMS expects all hospital staff to have received the appropriate number of vaccine doses by the timeframes specified in the applicable memo; those deadlines are built upon the memo's issuance date of either December 28, 2021, or January 14, 2022. Again,. An increasing number of employers are making vaccination against COVID-19 a condition of employment. As EPA continues to move toward identifying PFAS as Hazardous Is an OSHA Workplace Violence Standard for the Healthcare Industry on Yellen Calls on World Bank to Take Decisive Action on Climate Change, To Volunteer or Not: The Role of Community Association Board Members. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/contact. webpage. Hospitals could also raise concerns about unvaccinated employees requiring longer quarantine and isolation periods, Park said. %%EOF Visas for F and M Students Can Now Be Issued 365 Days Ahead of Program Start Date. Michigan PFAS Challenge Arguments Briefed For The Court. endstream endobj startxref All but three states offer nonmedical exemptions for religious or philosophical reasons. %PDF-1.7 % The rule is effective as of Nov. 5. Philosophical exemption indicates that the statutory language does not restrict the exemption to purely religious or spiritual beliefs. https:// White House Requires Removal of TikTok App from FDA Withdraws Proposed Rule on General Principles for Food Standards New FAQs Dramatically Expand Scope of California Labor Contractor Today is the Day Dont Miss the Employer Deadline to Report to OSHA, PTO Seeks Comments on Role of Artificial Intelligence in Inventorship. 86 Fed. External FAQ: CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule These frequently asked questions (FAQs) were initially issued on November 5, 2021 and have been updated as of January 20, 2022 as discussed below. NLRB Places New Limitations on Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Settlement Will Benefit Many Aging-Out Children in the Green Card SEC Commissioner Discusses Reform to Regulation D, Massachusetts AG Settles Enforcement Action Against Auto Lender. The Biden Administration has imposed vaccine mandates for the following groups: 1) Companies with 100 or more employees (OSHA rules mandate); 2) Employees of facilities that receive funding through Medicare or Medicaid (CMS mandate); and. By mid-September, all active-duty forces in the . For example, a hospice may have a business office located in one state but provide services in another state. The Health AI Frontier: New Opportunities for Innovation Across the FTC to Hold Workshop on Recyclable Claims. The NLR does not wish, nor does it intend, to solicit the business of anyone or to refer anyone to an attorney or other professional. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. @media (max-width: 992px){.usa-js-mobile-nav--active, .usa-mobile_nav-active {overflow: auto!important;}} Salmon DA, Moulton LH, Omer SB, DeHart MP, Stokley S, Halsey NA. To demonstrate undue hardship under Title VII, the requested accommodation need only bear more than a de minimis, or a minimal, cost to the employer. We recommend you check the CMS Emergencies webpage frequently for updates. or personally identifiable information (PII) is included in the documentation being submitted for review. The following is a high-level summary of key points from the EEOC's new guidance on exemption requests to mandatory vaccine policies based on religious objections: While no "magic words" are . GT's The Performance Review Episode 19: Is the Fight Over AB 51 5 Reasons Community Associations Need an Attorney That Specializes in New York Proposes Regulatory Review and Approval of Material Health CMS Issues Long-Awaiting Medicare Advantage RADV Final Rule, Preventing the Use of Cryptocurrencies to Evade Sanctions. As of June 14, 2022, 94% of all required health care workers are vaccinated with a . Employers should consult legal counsel before taking any actions. Desperate Times, Desperate Measuring Cups FTC Brings Enforcement Trending in Telehealth: February 20 26, 2023, IRS Sets Deadline For Using 401(K) Plan Forfeitures, How Generative AI Generates Legal Issues in the Games Industry, DOJ Announces New Nationwide Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy. GSA19R-22.pdf [PDF - 678 KB ] PDF versions of forms use Adobe Reader . https:// Mobile Arbeit und regionale Feiertage was gilt? They should avoid overly invasive questions because you dont want to have an employee feel like theyre being asked to jump through hoops for requesting a religious exemption, said Deepa Menon, an associate at Eversheds Sutherland LLP. BIPA ALERT: Illinois Supreme Court Opens the Door to Punitive, President Biden to Nominate Julie Su as New Secretary of Labor, The European Unitary Patent: Why Retailers Should Care, New York City Employers Prepare for AI Bias Law [VIDEO], Administration's WOTUS Rule Muddies Jurisdictional Waters. ) When an extension or exemption is granted (either through the provider-initiated request or the CMS-initiated waiver), a hospice will not incur payment reduction penalties for failure to comply with the requirements of the HQRP,for the time period for which the extension or exemption was granted. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Other significant aspects of his practice include conducting internal investigations, advising clients regarding executive Dan advises and represents businesses facing complex employment law issues. Under the Interim Rule, employers must implement precautions to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 for all staff who are not fully vaccinated, including those who have been granted religious exemptions. lock Locking Tik Tok? Religious freedom is a core value in the United States. .table thead th {background-color:#f1f1f1;color:#222;} 0=',U 4v0uc)M9 lock What if the employee is claiming a religious exemption on false information? An exemption in the school vaccination assessment reports could mean one of several things: We take your privacy seriously. This is a specious argument . .manual-search-block #edit-actions--2 {order:2;} The religious exemption protects sincerely held religious beliefs, not specific practices. Requesting a Provider-Initiated Exemption or Extension Request. hb``c``f+*`2p4 A1 p.usa-alert__text {margin-bottom:0!important;} Public Reporting: Background and Announcements, Public Reporting: CAHPS Preview Reports and Requests for CMS Review of CAHPS Data, Public Reporting: Provider Preview Report and Requests for CMS Review of Data, Public Reporting: Key Dates for Providers, Hospice Quality Reporting Spotlight & Announcements, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 2022-137-IP_FEMA Exception Memo Florida Hurricane Ian_FINAL(508) (PDF), FEMA Exception Memo Puerto Rico Hurricane Fiona_v5_CLEAN_(508) (1) (PDF), 2022-08-16_FEMA Exception Memo Kentucky Floods_v.Final_(8.15.22)508 (PDF), Provider-initiated requests for exemption or extension for extraordinary circumstances. (See Holland & Knight's previous alert, " Florida Gov. What accommodations must employers make for employees with qualifying religious belief exceptions? All Rights Reserved. A Detroit-based health system also instituted a vaccine mandate, and reported that 98 percent of the system's 33,000 workers were fully or partially vaccinated or in the process of obtaining a religious or medical exemption when the requirement went into effect, with exemptions comprising less than 1 percent of staffers. For New Jersey's vaccine requirements for health care facilities and high-risk congregate settings, workers are considered "up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations" if they have received a primary series which consists of either a 2-dose series of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine or a single dose COVID-19 vaccine, and the first . US Executive Branch Update March 2, 2023. CMS realizes that hospice care delivery is unique compared to other care settings. Watch on If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Expanding Regulatory Reach over Intermediaries That May Constitute How to Value Digital Assets for Donation to Charity. CMS-initiated waivers are communicated to providers via the communication channels noted below. National, State, and Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Children Aged 19-35 Months United States, 2012. If CMS grants a waiver, CMS will communicate the decision through routine channels to hospices and vendors, including, but not limited to, Open Door Forums, ENews and notices on the CMSHospice Quality Reporting Spotlight & Announcementswebpage. Employers should be mindful that while prior inconsistent conduct is relevant to the question of sincerity, an individuals beliefsor degree of adherencemay change over time, and therefore an employees newly adopted or inconsistently observed religious practice may nevertheless be sincerely held. How does the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) interact with Executive Order 11246? You can establish a process thats universally applied and fairly communicated, which the CMS would check during an audit, Zuckerman said. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA or Id., at 61571-61572. Breaking the Link New Developments on U.S. %PDF-1.6 % Glenn Youngkin is requesting an exemption to a federal rule requiring many health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. #block-googletagmanagerfooter .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } National Law Review, Volume XI, Number 308, Public Services, Infrastructure, Transportation. disaster, including pandemics, affects a large geographic area or a large number of hospice providers, CMS can automatically grant an exemption or extension to groups of affected providers. The new USDA Request for a Religious Exception form replaces the previous Religious Accommodation Questionnaire.. If you have not submitted a religious exception request, please use the new USDA Request for Religious Exception form along with the AD1163-R form. In light of the CMS Interim Final Rule (Interim Rule) published on November 5, 2021, qualifying healthcare facilities have been tasked with implementing policies and procedures that ensure their staff are fully vaccinated from COVID-19 unless their employees are exempted from the vaccination mandate due to a qualifying disability or sincerely held religious belief. Based on available information, we believe parents refusing all vaccines for their children is an uncommon occurrence. Disasters, including pandemics, preventing timely submission of quality data. That rulei.e., the "CMS Vaccine Mandate"imposes an unprecedented federal vaccine mandate on nearly every full-time employee, parttime employee, student, intern, - volunteer, and contractor working at a wide range of healthcare facilities receiving Medicare or . A federal judge ruled New York must continue to allow health care workers to seek exemptions from a statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious grounds as a lawsuit challenging the requirement proceeded. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA The medical exemption request form should be sent . .gov However, people will be . The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") has recently updated its guidance on religious accommodations applicable to COVID-19 vaccinations. How can a contractor request the religious exemption under 41 CFR 601.5(a)(5)? Data submission deadline extended. A letter can be used and come from the parent/guardian or the individual seeking exemption. The Supreme Court. +X*AbuIL,^@EgEYX2j % Employers have quite a bit of flexibility to deny religious exemptions. Statement in compliance with Texas Rules of Professional Conduct. What effect does rescinding the 2020 religious exemption rule have? Health care workers in state agencies are claiming medical or religious exemptions to vaccine . In a Monday letter, co-signed with West Virginia Gov. The content and links on www.NatLawReview.comare intended for general information purposes only.