AARP Makes Strong Statements re: Future of HCBS

During a roundtable on long-term care last Wednesday (June 2), AARP leaders advocated for expanding long-term care ate home and improving home caregivers’ qualify of life.

Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMond stated, “The home is the new health care center. Make no mistake about it. People are not anxious to go to nursing homes -- they want to stay in their homes.”

The organization advocated for a legislative push on, “home-focused long-term care policy,” indicating that the toll on nursing homes exposed the inadequacy of America’s long-term care system, though they recognized that many problems predate COVID-19.

LeaMond declared that in addition to Biden’s HCBS proposal, AARP supports other policies that support home care workers, including family caregivers, like the Credits for Caregivers Act. The pending legislation would provide federal tax credits for people who provide long-term care to family members.

As reported by Inside Health Policy, "Susan Reinhard, senior vice president and director of the AARP Public Policy Institute said that states should be trying to speed up Medicaid eligibility determinations for people who end up in nursing homes after hospital stays. This could avoid unwanted nursing home stays by making people eligible for HCBS benefits sooner. Some states have already begun using presumptive eligibility models."