Andrew Cuomo Faces Congress Over Controversial COVID-19 Nursing Home Policies

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Testifies on COVID-19 Nursing Home Policies

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will face Congress on Tuesday, September 10th, to answer questions about his administration's controversial nursing home policies during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing will be held before the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, led by Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup.

Cuomo's policies, which allowed COVID-19 positive patients back into nursing homes, have been heavily criticized. The subcommittee will investigate whether these policies contributed to the high number of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes.

Key Points of Controversy

• March 2020 Order: Cuomo issued an order requiring nursing homes to readmit all residents who were "medically stable" and returning after being hospitalized for the virus. The order stated that nursing homes were "prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission."
• Amended Order: After facing criticism from nursing home advocates, Cuomo amended the order in May 2020, prohibiting hospitals from discharging patients to nursing homes unless they first tested negative for COVID-19.
• State Department of Health Report: In July 2020, a report from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) stated that COVID-19 was introduced into nursing homes by infected staff, and that peak staff infections correlated with peak nursing home resident deaths. The report found that "admissions policies were not a significant factor in nursing home fatalities."
• Attorney General's Report: In January 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James released a report that found the NYSDOH had undercounted the number of nursing home residents who died of COVID-19 by as much as 50%, and failed to count in its official death tally nursing home residents who died of COVID-19 after being admitted to hospitals.
• Independent Investigation: An independent investigation commissioned by current New York Governor Kathy Hochul found that although Cuomo's nursing home response policy was based on "the best available data at the time," communication to the public was poor and caused anxiety for family members of nursing home residents. The report concluded that "Even the most well-intentioned policy had unforeseen consequences in [New York state] nursing homes."

Cuomo's testimony promises to be a crucial moment in understanding the full impact of his policies and the ongoing debate about the handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.