The Biden Administration, as part of its 2024 proposed budget, plans to allocate $150 billion for home- and community-based services over the next 10 years.
That, and a plan to keep Medicare from becoming insolvent in the near-term future, were the most relevant home-based care takeaways.
Allocating resources to HCBS is a way for the federal government to support older Americans and those with disabilities who wish to receive personal care services in the comfort of their homes, the administration said.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra also made note of family caregivers in a press briefing Thursday.
“There are more than 53 million caregivers in the United States of America and together they provide for the $470 billion in unpaid care each year,” Becerra said. “But for them, $470 billion would have to be expended to provide the care that those loved ones are providing today. When we don’t provide for caregivers, it has a negative impact not just on physical and mental health, it also undermines our economy and our security to the tune of $600 billion in lost income.”
Specifically, President Biden promised Medicare would be solvent through 2050.
There’s concern that, without intervention, Medicare could be in trouble as soon as 2028. In order to push back its doomsday, Biden plans to up taxes for the nation’s wealthier individuals, specifically those who make over $400,000 per year.
“The budget I am releasing this week will make the Medicare trust fund solvent beyond 2050 without cutting a penny in benefits,” Biden wrote in an op-ed published by The New York Times this week. “In fact, we can get better value, making sure Americans receive better care for the money they pay into Medicare.”
In tandem with the budget’s release was a Biden speech on Thursday in Philadelphia, where he reiterated his support for HCBS, saying that it is cheaper to provide adults the ability for them to stay in their homes as they age.
In terms of the additional HCBS funding, Becerra said it will help the U.S. recruit the next 1.3 million additional home care workers that the country needs “to meet the rising demand in America.”
The proposed budget also includes resources to strengthen nursing home oversight, including $566 million for the discretionary CMS Survey and Certification Program. That’s a 40% increase above current funding, the White House said.
LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan said in a statement shared with Home Health Care News that this is the first time in decades the federal government has committed to “meaningful action” to ensure the country’s older adults and families can get the help they need.
“America’s population is aging rapidly,” Sloan said. “More people will need services – from care in their own homes and in residential settings, to community support like affordable housing for low-income older adults. We’re encouraged that the President’s public statements of support for older adults and families are reflected in the numbers released today.”
The $6.8 trillion dollar proposed budget also includes $32 million allocated to train nurse faculty and $28 million for innovative approaches to “recruit, support and train” the next generation of health care providers.
The budget includes $144.3 billion in discretionary funding and $1.7 trillion in mandatory funding for FY 2024.
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