Details emerged this week regarding a proposed second economic stimulus package, which would contain more than $2 billion in healthcare funding.
The largest outlay in healthcare spending—$792 million—would go towards grants and loans for rural community facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, and child-care facilities. A further $500 million would go towards research grants in the fields of cancer and Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention. The bill would also provide $91 million to address public health concerns in the aftermath of natural disasters. Nursing-home residents are especially vulnerable in the event of hurricanes, and recent guidelines have been introduced to help address those, and other natural disaster concerns (McKnight’s, 5/9).
AARP this week sent a letter to the House of Representatives with its funding recommendations for the legislation. The lobbying group for older Americans is seeking additional funding for state Medicaid programs, which, in part, fund skilled nursing facilities. The full stimulus package is expected to cost roughly $50 billion. A $150 billion stimulus package was put into place earlier this year.
