COVID-19 vaccines and protocols: Where do employers go from here?

With COVID-19 cases still on the rise, but with promising FDA-approved vaccines already on their way, many employers are asking, “Where do we go from here?” While health experts say the rollout of vaccines won’t mean businesses will return to normal immediately, it does offer hope that the other workplace health and safety precautions will be able to be rolled back once the vaccines become widely available to the public later this year.

So what issues should employers and health plan sponsors be thinking about now?

During this complimentary webinar, McAfee & Taft employee benefits attorney Brandon Long and labor and employment attorneys Charlie Plumb and Kirk Turner join forces to discuss discuss employer considerations as it pertains to the drafting and implementation of vaccination policies, how employers who decide to implement vaccination mandates should handle employee requests for exemptions, and the various health plan, HIPAA, and other confidentiality issues that come into play with COVID-19 cases and related vaccines. Timely questions discussed include:

• Can employers internally track who in the workplace has tested positive for COVID-19 or has received a vaccine?
• Do employers have the right to require employees obtain a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment?
• Do employees have the right to request an exception from vaccination mandate?
• Are employer health plans required to pay for the vaccine? If so, can the plan require employees to use in-network providers only?
• Does providing a vaccine to employees who are not covered by your health plan create a separate health plan with consequences under COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and other federal laws?
• What should benefits professionals be doing now to prepare for the end of the declared “national emergency” as it relates to COBRA election and payment periods?

This webinar is now available for on-demand viewing. Register below to receive immediate access.