The Biden administration is requesting $30 billion from Congress for additional COVID-19 relief funding, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Tuesday.
“While we continue to have sufficient funds to respond to the current omicron surge in the coming weeks, our goal has always been to ensure that we are well prepared to stay ahead of the virus,” she said.
“Resources from the [American] Rescue Plan and prior COVID response bills have enabled us to respond forcefully to the delta and omicron surges. And what we’re trying to do now is stay ahead and stay in contact with Congress about what those needs might look like,” the press secretary added.
NBC News reported that two people familiar with the administration’s plan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that of the $30 billion the White House is requesting, $17.9 billion would go for vaccines and treatments, $4.9 billion would be used for testing, $3 billion would cover coronavirus care for uninsured people, and $3.7 billion would be used to prepare for future variants.
“In drafts circulating for a COVID supplemental request, it appears the White House is seeking funding for monoclonal antibodies, vaccines and testing, which we strongly support,” a LeadingAge spokesperson told the McKnight’s Business Daily. “However, LeadingAge provider members’ real-world experiences tell us more supplemental funding is also needed – we’d [like to see] additional provider relief funds, a one-time relief payment of $2,000 for frontline aging services staff, and authorization of a permanent program to increase the compensation of direct care workers and HUD service coordinators by $5 per hour to the White House’s list. The needs of older adults and providers who serve them must not be overlooked.”
Leading Age President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan wrote to the president Jan. 21 outlining a request for relief that she said would address its members’ needs — both to ensure that older adults are able to access care and that providers have the necessary resources to keep older adults and the people who care for serve them safe from COVID-19.
A spokesperson for AHCA / NCAL told the McKnight’s Business Daily, “Any additional COVID-19 funding that increases the availability of vaccines, treatments and testing can help our nation’s most vulnerable from this ongoing pandemic. However, as we have urged from the beginning, policymakers must prioritize long term care residents and staff for these resources. We also strongly support additional COVID relief funding for healthcare providers through the Provider Relief Fund, to help long-term care facilities address the economic and workforce crises caused by the pandemic.”
