As the legislators headed back to Richmond for the General Assembly’s special session, VHCA-VCAL President and CEO Keith Hare wrote an op-ed published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He explained how the novel coronavirus has impacted long term care and the continuing, significant resource needs of members to protect vulnerable residents. Hare asked the governor and General Assembly to continue the policy of increased Medicaid reimbursements until June 30, 2021 or three full months after the expiration of the COVID-19 state of emergency, whichever is later.

Read the full piece: Our Seniors Are Counting On Continued Support Through The Pandemic (richmond.com,  August 16, 2020)

Since the onset of the pandemic, Virginia’s nursing homes have been at the epicenter of the battle against COVID-19. While news of outbreaks has been devastating, Virginia’s long-term caregivers remained committed to protecting our loved ones in long-term care communities.

These nurses, certified nursing assistants, therapists, and dietary and environmental services staff did so despite the difficulties and challenges of facing a novel and voracious virus. Nursing facility staff have shown selflessness and resiliency working on the front lines. They have sacrificed time with their loved ones to care for those who disproportionately have been impacted by COVID-19.

Virginia’s nursing homes run 24/7, caring for more than 26,000 individuals — veterans, retired teachers, former business owners and our grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors. Today, more than 6 in 10 of Virginia’s nursing home residents rely on Medicaid for all of their daily living and health care needs. For many years, the Virginia Medicaid program has reimbursed nursing homes below the total cost of care provided. To put it in perspective, Virginia’s nursing homes only are reimbursed $196 per day on average for each Medicaid resident in their care — more than 10% below the national average.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the underfunding of nursing homes as costs of care have risen.

It already has been a long fight against this novel virus, and it’s far from over. The need for personal protective equipment (PPE), staffing, testing and other crucial medical supplies to support Virginia’s nursing homes remains.

Recent data shows that Virginia’s overall testing positivity rate has been above 7%, a threshold that means that all nursing homes in the state likely will be required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to test all nursing facility staff each week. At the same time, a number of nursing homes in the commonwealth lack the PPE they need. Without enough PPE, caregivers cannot prevent the spread of the virus. According to data from CMS, 19% of nursing homes in Virginia lack a one-week supply of N95 masks, and 14% lack a one-week supply of surgical masks and gowns.

The virus shows no signs of slowing down, which means nursing facility residents still are vulnerable. All of us — our local, state and federal health partners — must continue to rally around these individuals to protect them during the pandemic.

Virginia’s nursing homes are incredibly grateful to Gov. Ralph Northam for his leadership and for approving a $20-per-day funding increase to protect nursing home residents from COVID-19. As the pandemic continues, our resource needs remain significant. Protecting our most vulnerable residents against the virus means our nursing homes need continued support to ensure they can keep residents safe, and provide quality care during the pandemic and beyond.

We respectfully are requesting that the governor and General Assembly continue the policy of increased nursing facility Medicaid reimbursements until June 30, 2021, or three full months after the expiration of the COVID-19 state of emergency — whichever is later. The continued funding will support approved COVID-19 costs and help keep our nursing facility residents as safe as possible.

Although it is critical that we address the immediate needs of our nursing homes, moving forward, we also must adopt sustainable, long-term policy solutions to ensure Medicaid nursing care receives adequate funding. Without a feasible solution, Virginia’s nursing homes will struggle to meet the growing needs of our current and future seniors.

Caregivers in long-term care communities across the state have gone to great lengths to battle COVID-19, and with the help of policymakers, long-term care facilities in Virginia can continue battling this virus and promoting recovery.