Watch Live: Biden to tie vaccines for nursing home staff to Medicare and Medicaid funding

Washington — President Biden will announce Wednesday he is ordering the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require nursing homes to have vaccinated staff for them to be able to participate in Medicare and Medicaid and receive funding from the federal programs, a White House official confirmed to CBS News.  What: President Biden gives an update on his administration's COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts  Date: August 18, 2021 Time: 4:30 p.m. Location: White House  Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.

The vaccination requirement would be the first time the federal government has implemented any type of vaccination requirement besides those for federal government employees.   Many nursing homes, which rely heavily on Medicare and Medicaid funding, have not had such requirements, and vaccination rates among staff have varied greatly by facility. Federal health officials have encouraged nursing home staff to participate because of how vulnerable nursing home populations can be, even if vaccinated.