Two U.S. lawmakers want answers from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the funding distribution for nursing homes during the coronavirus public health crisis.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) argue that the CARES Act provided CMS with an additional $200 million to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus and $100 million of that funding is earmarked for support increased state and federal oversight of nursing homes.
They added that the funding was expected to be used to ensure nursing homes are adhering to standards for quality of care, infection control and staffing to minimize the spread of the virus, but only $1.5 million of the funding has been provided to state oversight agencies.
“We are concerned that very little of this funding has gone out to states since CMS opted, after waiting more than a month, to require states to apply for the funding,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter Wednesday, asking the agency to explain its decision making.
The lawmakers requested that CMS respond to the letter by July 2.
“Given the emergency, we do not understand why CMS opted for a slow, burdensome process — or why it took so long to decide on this business-as-usual approach — when it could have quickly released funding to states and territories in need by using an expedited process,” they wrote.
