NY Department of Health bars nursing homes from refusing COVID-positive discharges
The New York State Department of Health issued an advisory stating that nursing homes could not deny admission or readmission to residents 'solely based' on a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnosis, and prohibiting facilities from requiring COVID-19 testing of medically stable hospital patients before admission or readmission. Issued as hospitals braced for surge overflow, it became one of the most contested state policies of the early pandemic; the state reversed it on May 10, 2020.
Primary quotes
“no resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the [nursing home] solely based”
March 25, 2020 NY DOH advisory, on a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnosis — as quoted verbatim by the Associated Press
Flags / open questions
- •Original health.ny.gov URL blocks automated access; Wayback snapshot serves the original PDF
Linked sources
Related contentions
Unresolved. The 50% undercount is confirmed by the NY AG, but the directive's causal share of nursing-home deaths was never adjudicated — the AG said only that it 'may have' increased risk, and DOJ declined CRIPA investigations in 2021; later data analyses (staffing levels, staff transmission) are cited by both sides without consensus.