With a tentative agreement and an expected vote on a COVID relief package expected this week, senior living industry leaders said the need for additional relief funding in senior living is “urgent.”
Operators anticipate an additional $35 billion will be earmarked for the Provider Relief Fund. This amount will include $2 billion operators can use for testing and tracing. The new relief will also expand the Paycheck Protection Program.
The American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living said that long-term care providers still face an uphill battle when it comes to fighting COVID-19. The group called on lawmakers to prioritize long-term care residents and staff in the pending COVID relief bill.
Argentum President and CEO James Balda said that senior living communities continue to shoulder significant losses due to the pandemic, and the proposed legislation provides essential support through additional funding for the Provider Relief Fund. But he said he is “disappointed” that assisted living is not specifically identified in the bill’s language, which leaves discretion to the Department of Health and Human Services to provide targeted relief.
“For far too long, assisted living communities have waited for needed relief to be disbursed by HHS,” Balda said. “We are now 10 months into this pandemic, and these communities have received little to no relief to date.”
Balda said that half of all assisted living operators are operating at a loss, and 40% anticipate closures if relief is not received soon. He said many providers are still waiting for their initial disbursement from the Provider Relief Fund.
“Because of these delays and the growing threat of closures, it is critical that this bipartisan legislation specifically targets assisted living for relief,” Balda said.
LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan said that “no vaccine is a magic wand.” In a letter to congressional leaders on Tuesday, Sloan said although the Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 and the Bipartisan State and Local Support and Small Business Protections Act of 2020 do not include everything aging services providers need, both address vertical needs and should be included in any legislation.
“Staggering and unsustainable COVID-related costs continue to mount for aging services. Some providers are shutting down, and more will follow,” Sloan said. “Congress must step up to meet this real and desperate need to ensure that older adults will be able to access the services and supports they need to survive, no matter where they live and receive care.”
AHCA / NCAL called the additional resources proposed for the Provider Relief Fund, as well as the financial support specifically directed to long-term care providers, “a step in the right direction” to help providers cope with increased expenses for everything from personal protective equipment to staffing.
“While the vaccine is a significant turning point, the fight is not over,” AHCA/NCAL said, adding that it will take months for all residents and staff to receive the necessary two doses for full protection from the virus. “In the meantime, long-term care providers will still need the tools they need to win, including PPE, testing and staffing support.”
AHCA / NCAL said that reports of dire staffing shortages have grown in recent weeks.
“Long-term care providers cannot continue to fight the pandemic without the financial support of Congress,” the organization said.
