Concerns grow over home health care as Democrats debate funding – By Lauren Clason (Roll Call) / Oct 13 2021
The need for home care is only expected to grow, as around 10,000 seniors reach retirement age every day
Advocates are concerned that a proposed boost to Medicaid and home health care for the elderly and disabled in Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget bill will be pared back so much that it wouldn’t deliver on its promise to increase jobs and wages.
The topline funding number for home- and community-based services has wavered between $150 billion over 10 years and President Joe Biden’s initial request of $400 billion over eight years. The House bill currently would set the 10-year spending level at $190 billion, lower than what advocates view as sufficient.
But congressional leadership is expected to trim the $3.5 trillion bill to around $2 trillion over a decade in an effort to please fiscally moderate Democrats like Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
The need for home care is only expected to grow, as around 10,000 seniors reach retirement age every day. Advocates point to long-term savings as a reason to fully fund an expansion since home care is traditionally less expensive than institutional care.
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