“The Grim Post-COVID-19 Future For Nursing Homes,” by Howard Gleckman, Forbes

Quote:

“There has been a lot of focus on the impact of COVID-19 on people in nursing homes, but less attention so far paid to seniors and people with disabilities receiving long-term home and community-based services (HCBS), who also face serious issues. Some news reports recently have emerged about outbreaks in group homes for people with developmental disabilities and the impact on people who receive and those who provide home care. HCBS help with tasks such as bathing, dressing, and preparing meals. Medicaid is the primary payer for these services, financing 59% of HCBS (Figure 1). Over 2.5 million people received services through Medicaid HCBS waivers offered in all 50 states and DC in FY 2018. People receiving HCBS may be at increased risk of adverse health outcomes from COVID-19 due to older age and/or chronic illness as well as from unmet daily needs due to workforce and medical supply shortages during the crisis. Maintaining and potentially expanding HCBS during the public health emergency is critical to prevent increased need for nursing home care.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):

The current pandemic may finally bring the curtain down on any hope the government can provide nursing home care, much less home and community-based services. It’s not like the government has any money to spend. What it spends it must borrow, tax or inflate to cover, all of which options lead sooner or later to financial catastrophe.