The Society Urges HHS to Release Nursing Home Strike Force Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

This week, AMDA and several other organizations sent a letter urging Secretary Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to release nursing home strike team funding authorized in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Act, which was signed into law in early March 2021, allocated $250 million each for Medicare and Medicaid ($500 million total). However, these funds have yet to be released to the states, delaying the potential implementation of strike teams and access to invaluable resources. Strike teams have been a successful strategy for handling COVID-19 cases in nursing homes. Staffing continues to be a major challenge moving forward, and this funding to the states now would provide the ability to plan the implementation of strike teams to help alleviate the current staffing challenges. While the vaccine has helped decrease infection rates, beneficiaries are still at risk of contracting the virus variants in numerous ways. Having access to this funding would prepare the states to deal with any new cases in their facilities.

To help states with the implementation of strike teams, AMDA has developed a comprehensive policy resource that is freely available.

Other co-signers of the letter included: American Healthcare Association (AHCA), LeadingAge, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nurses (AAPACN), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), and National Association for the Support of Long Term Care (NASL).