Stevens Urges Trump Administration to Support Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care Facilities
WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) led a group of 16 Members of Congress calling on U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar to ensure that federal funding, testing capacity, and personal protective equipment (PPE) are being allocated to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
Senior facilities in Wayne and Oakland Counties, the two counties that fall within the borders of Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. According to a recent analysis by the Detroit Free Press, 35% of COVID-19 deaths in Wayne County were nursing home residents, while 92 senior care facilities in Oakland County have at least one confirmed COVID-19 case.
In the letter, the Members urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to allocate funding for nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the CARES Act Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, and increase access to testing for these facilities as part of the Administration’s COVID-19 Strategic Testing Plan, required under the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.
“Nursing homes are facing tremendous strain on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, managing the spread of the virus among their own residents and staff, providing regional surge capacity, and rehabilitating patients recovering from COVID-19,” wrote the Members. “At the same time, nursing homes are facing staffing shortages and experiencing serious difficulties accessing personal protective equipment and testing supplies. […] We must work together to ensure our long-term care providers are best equipped to turn the tide of new infections and continue saving lives, and ensure the millions of older Americans and adults with disabilities that they serve are not forgotten.”
This letter is supported by LeadingAge and the American Health Care Association.
In addition to Congresswoman Stevens, the letter was signed by Reps. John Larson (CT-01), Susan Wild (PA-07), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Kendra Horn (OK-05), Dan Kildee (MI-05), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Annie Kuster (NH-02), Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Bill Foster (IL-11), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20).
The full text of the letter can be found here.
“Dear Secretary Azar,
As we continue working together to protect the health and safety of our frontline healthcare workers and the patients they serve, we urge you to ensure targeted funding, testing, and PPE is being allocated to nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
Nursing homes are facing tremendous strain on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, managing the spread of the virus among their own residents and staff, providing regional surge capacity, and rehabilitating patients recovering from COVID-19. At the same time, nursing homes are facing staffing shortages and experiencing serious difficulties accessing personal protective equipment and testing supplies. Additionally, older adults are the most susceptible to COVID-19 infection and mortality, with people over the age of 65 accounting for 80 percent of all deaths associated with COVID-19, according to a recent report from the CDC.
Without robust and immediate support, nursing homes and long-term care facilities may be forced to close their doors. We cannot let this happen; we cannot let them fail.
As such, we urge you to allocate funding for nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the CARES Act Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, and increase access to testing and PPE for nursing homes and long-term care facilities in your COVID–19 Strategic Testing Plan, required under the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.
We must work together to ensure our long-term care providers are best equipped to turn the tide of new infections and continue saving lives and ensure the millions of older Americans and adults with disabilities that they serve are not forgotten.”
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