Care Infrastructure
Part of President Biden’s infrastructure plan includes improving the lives of direct caregivers. Biden proposed a $400 billion plan to support caregivers and expand access to home-based care. The plan will significantly increase Medicaid coverage of long-term care outside of institutional settings. The American Jobs Plan includes $400 billion for access to home- and community-based services (HCBS), while also bolstering the underpaid frontline caregiving workforce.
“President Biden believes more people should have the opportunity to receive care at home, in a supportive community, or from a loved one,” the White House observed in a fact sheet.
The Biden Administration pledged to create an “infrastructure” to increase wages. Incredibly, one in six caregivers live in poverty.
The encouragement of union membership among care workers serves as a key plank of the president’s plan.
“These investments will help hundreds of thousands of Americans finally obtain the long-term services and support they need, while creating new jobs and offering caregiving workers a long-overdue raise, stronger benefits, and an opportunity to organize or join a union and collectively bargain,” the White House asserted.