Rep. Deutch: House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging & Families Outlines Blueprint for Protecting Older Americans Amid COVID-19
Following last week's House vote to provide additional support for small businesses, hospitals, health care workers and all Americans,
The blueprint builds on the
"The COVID-19 pandemic has harmed the well-being and wallets of millions of Americans, taking a particular toll on our nation's most vulnerable populations, especially Older Americans," said Caucus Chairman
The following principles encompass the
Principle 1: Guaranteed Access to Affordable, Equitable and Comprehensive Health Care
* Declare a special ACA open enrollment period and extend the Medicare enrollment period to allow Americans to seek coverage amid the pandemic.
* Drop its anti-ACA lawsuit to strip coverage from millions in the context of the pandemic.
* Ensure all treatments or vaccinations developed to address COVID-19 are affordable and accessible, including and especially for Older Americans.
The Task Force is committed to:
* Ensuring that Older Americans are not more susceptible to adverse health outcomes as a result of missing preventive care or therapies due to social distancing.
* Protecting Older Americans of color and their families, who are particularly susceptible to the virus due to lasting health disparities
* Making sure that telehealth is widely available for routine care, as well as PT, OT, speech language pathologists, audiologists and other needed therapies.
Principle 2: Financial & Retirement Security for Themselves & Their Families
* Ensure Social Security recipients are able to equitably and easily access current and future rebate (direct cash) programs implemented in pandemic response legislation.
* Increase social security benefits for the length of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The Task Force is committed to:
* Addressing the challenge facing public and multiemployer pension plans during the economic downturn.
* Preventing scammers from taking advantage of Older Americans in the context of relief programs.
Principle 3: Full Participation & Contribution to Their Communities
* Place a national moratorium on evictions and utility shutoffs for the length of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The Task Force is committed to:
* Protecting Older Americans, particularly those in need of affordable housing, from eviction or foreclosure due to COVID-19 related circumstances.
* Addressing inequitable social determinants of health that have increased COVID-19 cases and fatalities among Black and Latino older Americans
Principle 4: Age with Dignity & Respect
* Ensuring that home health care aides - overwhelmingly people of color - have the proper equipment and resources to continue safely caring for Older Americans at home.
* Granting families adequate COVID-19 paid leave provisions to ensure they can care for loved ones as needed.
Principle 5: Quality Standards For Long-Term Care Facilities
* Ensure that adequate infection control guidelines are established to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within nursing and long-term care facilities and that these facilities have access to the workforce and PPE required to carry out these directives.
* Immediately distribute the
* Require facilities to report all COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and fatalities to residents, families, state health departments, the
* Ensure facilities have sufficient testing kits to protect their residents and workers and to accurately report COVID-19 case data.
* Make sure that the elimination of in-person inspections does not leave patients at these facilities more vulnerable to neglect and abuse.
* Clarify discharge guidelines for non-COVID 19 Medicare or Medicaid patients and their families so they are able to plan care accordingly.
* Protecting the approximately 2.3 million Americans currently living in nursing facilities and other congregate living setting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put them at great risk of infection, illness and death.
* Protecting the workers who are also risking their lives to care for these patients.
Principle 6: Food Security
* Increase Older Americans' ability to use food assistance programs from home by expanding the online EBT purchasing pilot.
* Supporting food banks and other nonprofits that are seeing increased demands as they serve Older Americans and families with seniors in their family unit during COVID-19.
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