The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living on Wednesday appealed to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to support the extension of the Public Health Emergency beyond Jan. 11, 2023.
“While we have come a long way from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus remains a threat, especially to older adults and those with underlying health conditions,” wrote AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson. “COVID-19 variants continue to emerge, and your administration and other public health experts have issued repeated warnings about a potential surge of cases this fall and winter. As you know, high spread of COVID in surrounding communities has been linked to nursing home outbreaks.”
“Extending the PHE is critical to ensure states and healthcare providers, including long-term care providers, have the flexibilities and resources necessary to respond to this ever-evolving pandemic,” he added.
Becerra confirmed last month that his department still plans to give providers 60 days’ notice of the PHE’s end, meaning that it should become clear late next week if an additional extension is in the works. Many healthcare providers and health systems are anxiously awaiting a decision.
The easing of COVID-19 restrictions like masking and social distancing is mainstream in the general public and the CDC has left the decision to mask up to facilities based on their community risk levels. Those factors have raised alarm bells from non-AHCA nursing home advocates, as those protocols were in part responsible for not only keeping COVID-19 spread down, but also decreasing flu outbreaks compared to pre pandemic years.
“With surging RSV cases and the early arrival of flu, combined with limited use of masking, social distancing, and other protective measures – we are already seeing ER departments filled,” Devin Jopp, EdD, CEO of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.
“While we cannot say with certainty, based on historical trends, it is reasonable to assume that COVID-19 cases will rebound this winter along with the fall/winter holiday season.”
Parkinson also pleaded with Becerra to support PHE extension because he is concerned that much of the country is unprepared for the administrative backlog the end of the PHE will bring. He cited a Georgetown University report that said 22 states have no plan for expected Medicaid coverage disruptions, and another 10 have minimal plans. Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Tuesday that they were working on guidance that would help providers manage the end of waivers and relaxed rules that are connected to the PHE.
But an additional extension would give states and providers more time to ready themselves, Parkinson wrote.
“Redetermination specifically for the aged, blind, and disabled populations takes longer than other beneficiaries due to the need for a clinician to verify that the individual needs nursing home-level care as well as a review of all assets in addition to income,” he wrote. “All long-term care providers are struggling with soaring labor costs and inflation; they cannot absorb additional losses due to state errors.”
