A concerted effort by the senior living and care industry may have “stopped the freight train” from running off with Provider Relief Fund dollars intended to help providers cover COVID-related expenses and losses.
Senior living and care leaders turned up the pressure on members of Congress on Friday, pointing out the dangers associated with a rumored plan to take $24 billion away from the Provider Relief Fund — meant to help operators with COVID-19-related costs — and repurpose those dollars to help pay for a bipartisan $953 billion infrastructure bill.
Proposed legislation supported by some senior living associations would allow individuals to pay for long-term care insurance from existing retirement accounts without a tax penalty.
As a group of bipartisan negotiators in Congress moves closer to finalizing a deal over the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, senior living groups are sounding the alarm that the agreement might come at their expense.
Proposed legislation creating a new visa classification is being eyed as one option to address the workforce shortages continuing to plague the senior living industry.
Senate Democrats announced a $3.5 trillion budget agreement on Tuesday, and although details are limited on how the package specifically might affect aging services providers, senior living leaders remain hopeful.
Requiring assisted living providers to report weekly COVID-19 vaccination data to the federal government would add administrative and cost burdens to operators already challenged by the pandemic and even could stop some operators from continuing to provide services to Medicaid beneficiaries, according to representatives of several national associations providing comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Although a bipartisan infrastructure deal reached Thursday did not include much-sought-after funding for home- and community-based services and affordable housing, the senior living industry is hailing another piece of legislation that invests in older adults.
A virtual town hall on Tuesday focused on answering questions, alleviating concerns and persuading unvaccinated senior living and other long-term care staff members, residents and families to get a COVID-19 vaccine to help meet a self-imposed goal of a 75% vaccination rate for workers in the industry by July 4.
President Biden’s immigration reform policies, as well as immigration reform legislation being considered by Congress, offer potential solutions for ongoing workforce shortages affecting senior living, which were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, according to LeadingAge.
