Poliakoff & Associates, P.A. Advocacy No Comments

Relief is Here

Rescue Plan

Biden’s Relief package has been successful and popular. Thank God relief is here: American Rescue Plan.

More than 200,000 Americans signed up for health insurance under ObamaCare during the open enrollment period.  A good sign that the uninsured are getting coverage, according to federal officials and health policy experts.  The recent stimulus and relief law provided funds to expand Medicaid. Alabama and Wyoming consider expanding Medicaid for many citizens.

Meanwhile, some states want to cut Medicaid Medicaid reimbursements for nursing homes. For example, Florida’s budget cuts Medicaid by $81 million. A $42.1 billion budget disclosed includes a 2% cut to Medicaid funding for nursing homes. Florida Health Care Association claims it would cost $125,000 per facility, per year.

Providers across the country have been clamoring for increases in Medicaid reimbursement as a critical way to address staffing shortages, in particular.

“While nursing centers received significant funding from the federal government over the past year, precautionary measures necessitated by COVID-19 have already depleted those funds, and the rising costs of keeping residents safe and well cared for will continue even as the number of cases declines,” he said. “It’s that critical our nursing centers have the resources they need to recover from the pandemic, strengthen their workforce, upgrade their aging physical structures, and continue implementing solutions to ensure seniors have access to high-quality long term care.”

Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill pumps up “Obamacare” premium subsidies. The increase will solve problems of affordability, particularly for people with middle-class incomes. More taxpayer assistance means, in effect, that consumers who buy their own policies through HealthCare.gov will pay hundreds of dollars less out of their own pockets.

Additional Relief

Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a 15% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This will provide $3.5 billion of assistance to people affected by food insecurity. As part of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, the increase in benefits will provide about $28 more per person per month or more than $100 more per month for a household of four.
The Biden administration will provide funeral assistance up to $9,000 to cover the burial costs of each American who died of covid-19. The program is open to families regardless of their income. Biden also said that all adults in the U.S. would be eligible for a vaccine by April 19, accelerating the timeline he announced last month.