Long-term care providers took their complaints about lack of pandemic support to new heights Wednesday as they urged lawmakers to push for additional resources for operators as the next coronavirus relief package is finalized. Some of the providers reported spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to test residents and staff.
Providers in Maryland are warning that facilities cannot bear the costs of mandatory coronavirus testing for staff members after state health officials announced that they will stop covering the testing costs in mid August.
The federal government’s plan to provide “point-of-care” COVID-19 tests to every single U.S. nursing home is “welcome news for long-term care residents, staff and providers.”
Nursing home operators and the rest of the country may soon know the key components in a fourth, and likely final, coronavirus relief package from the federal government.
The White House’s Coronavirus Task Force held a public briefing for the first time in more than two months late last week, and the most notable accomplishment from it might have been the way it further inflamed long-term care providers’ indignation.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services excited the provider community and brought clarity to numerous aspects of restarting visits at nursing homes Wednesday.
A top provider association is calling on Congress to establish a dedicated $100 billion emergency fund for nursing homes and other aging services providers to protect residents from COVID-19.
The Act for Older Adults campaign calls for a comprehensive relief package, including ‘hero’ pay and paid sick leave for care providers, and a $100 billion emergency fund.
Another handful of states are now leveraging Medicaid to assist nursing homes struggling with added costs during the coronavirus pandemic, LeadingAge detailed in a new blog post.
Providers across the country have reported they’ve received faulty personal protective equipment from the federal government. The second largest nursing home association is now calling on Vice President Mike Pence to investigate multiple “failures” regarding PPE distributions.
