Tell Congress: Support A Bold Investment In HCBS

Aging services are an essential part of the nation’s infrastructure. There are 52 million people over age 65, a population that is expected to double by 2040. Right now, we don’t have the infrastructure for aging services that we need—and the systems we do have are crumbling.

We now have the opportunity to invest $400 billion in home and community-based services as Congress considers the President’s proposal on providing these services as part of the next infrastructure package.

ACT NOW by contacting your U.S. Representative and Senators and urging them to invest in our aging services infrastructure by supporting:

The American Jobs Plan provision to invest $400 billion in HCBS expansion.
An increase to the federal Medicaid match for Medicaid HCBS, including waiver and state plan services like adult day and personal care services and for PACE organizations.
Critical investments in other services in the home and community through Medicare home health and hospice.

LeadingAge created the Blueprint for a Better Aging Infrastructure as a set of recommendations that address the economic, social, and racial inequities older Americans face. Build awareness and support for these recommendations by asking Congress to invest in these vital programs today.

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Subject:

Please Invest in Services For Older Adults in our Community

Dear Official,

Aging services are an essential part of the nation’s infrastructure. There are 52 million people over age 65, a population that is expected to double by 2040. RIght now, we don’t have the infrastructure for aging services that we need—and the systems we do have are crumbling. The COVID-19 pandemic made clear the tragic human consequences that can happen when our systems are weak. It is no longer acceptable that our health care system largely ignores a set of services that half of older adults will need in our country.

As a constituent, I support the American Jobs Plan proposal to invest $400 billion in home and community-based services, which will also create new jobs and increase wages. As part of this, I support increasing the federal Medicaid match across HCBS settings, including waiver and state plan services like assisted living, adult day and personal care services and for PACE organizations, by at least 10 points on a long-term basis. These extra dollars will be critical to improving access to services and increasing staff pay and benefits and other efforts to bolster the LTSS workforce.

I also ask that Congress makes key reforms to support care in the home and community, including telehealth legislation addressing PACE organizations (H.R. 2166/S. 150) and home health agencies (S. 1309), expanding access to the PACE model of care (S. 1162), and enhancements to end of life care through additional respite and advanced illness supports.

More information on this critical Blueprint For A Better Aging Infrastructure can be found at https://leadingage.org/sites/default/files/LeadingAge_Blueprint%20Aging%20Infrastructure.pdf

Thank you

Regards, Your Name

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Thank you for taking action! Join us all month for our Building Commuinities of Strength campaign by checking out our toolkit of materials and ideas on how to participate.

As a constituent who is concerned for older adults and those who serve them, I ask that you please co-sponsor the Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth (HEAT) Act (S.4854/H.R. 8677) and push for its inclusion in any future COVID-relief or other health care package.

Under current law, Medicare cannot reimburse home health providers for virtual care and, as a result, our home health members have been put in the untenable position of forfeiting adequate reimbursement to better protect their staff and patients. The HEAT Act (S.4854/H.R. 8677) would provide home health providers with the ability to receive reimbursement for providing telehealth visits with appropriate protections for patients and families.

Home health providers are a critical component of the aging services infrastructure and they need the flexibility provided by this legislation to ensure that they can safely serve their patients without forfeiting adequate reimbursement. Please act to protect older adults and those who serve them by co-sponsoring the HEAT Act (S.4854/H.R. 8677).