PUBLIC POLICY
Months of Effort Bring Billions in Critical Relief
By Daniel Samson
Argentum was thrilled when earlier this month the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it would make an allocation of 2 percent of annual gross revenue to licensed assist- ed living providers—welcomed relief for providers who have faced rising costs as a result of COVID-19—from the CARES Act provider relief fund. This announcement was made possible
because of the months-long campaign led by Argentum’s advocacy team, lobbyists, member companies, industry partners, and association partners educating policymak- ers on the unique and urgent needs of the industry. “While we are still fighting for this ad- ditional funding, advocating for vaccine priority for residents and staff, and making the case for reasonable liability protections, this announcement from HHS offers a long-awaited resolution and provides signif- icant support for the industry,” said James Balda, president and CEO of Argentum. The financial impact of COVID-19 on
senior living cannot be overstated. An inde- pendent analysis performed shortly after the pandemic began calculated that providers could face increased costs or lost revenue of more than $50 billion over the course of 12 months. With the responsibility of caring for
nearly two million seniors—the most vul- nerable to COVID-19—doing nothing was not an answer. We know that senior living is need-driven. If the industry cannot finan- cially survive this crisis, seniors today and in the future will not have a place to live.
Advocacy efforts strong The $2.2 trillion CARES Act, signed into law by President Trump on March 27,
provided funding for eligible health care providers, such as senior living communities that have experienced increased expenses and lost revenue due to COVID-19, to re- ceive relief funds—a result of our explicit requests during the intensive negotiations leading up the bill’s passage. But while the administration was quick to make distribu- tions for providers who bill Medicare and Medicaid, such as nursing homes, senior living communities were continually told to be patient. No stones were left unturned in our
pursuit of financial relief for the industry. We made official requests to the president, vice president, and officials throughout the White House and administration. Our member companies made every effort, too, meeting with their members of Congress personally relaying our needs to those in decision-making positions. Most import- ant, thousands of senior living advocates, including residents and their family mem- bers, community staff, and others helped send more than 50,000 messages to Capitol Hill as part of our Standing With Seniors campaign.
Coming from all fronts Our campaign also used geofarming to tar- get tens of thousands of unique influencers, including key Capitol Hill staffers, lobbyists, elected officials, and reporters. The geo- farming campaign was followed up with broadcast and digital advertising and news- letter sponsorships, targeting D.C. news and cable networks and programs most likely to be watched by White House and HHS offi- cials. Altogether, our videos explaining the urgency of needs for senior living generated more than 1.8 million views and 8 million impressions and received media placements
50 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE SEPTEMBER/OCTORER 2020
Advocates Argentum For You
on Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, The Washington Post, Yahoo! Finance, and Bloomberg. Initially, our calls for help were met by
state governments allocating a portion of funds they received from the CARES Act to help reimburse operators. In June, HHS announced a targeted distribution of $15 billion for Medicaid and CHIP providers, to include senior living operators who receive Medicaid funds. But most private-pay operators were still
facing enormous financial challenges—and despite being eligible under the statute, they received no government relief. In late July, we along with other industry
partners, led an ambitious effort to collect tax identification numbers for approxi- mately 20,000 providers, a critical logistical step to lay the foundation for a potential allocation.
Results, and relief Finally, on Sept. 1, HHS announced that it would allocate funds for private-pay licensed assisted living operators from the Provider Relief Fund Phase 2 General Distribution. While it has been a long and winding
road to reach this point, the partnership, commitment, and participation from our members and partners has been essential and invaluable. As many more in Washington, D.C. have
come to appreciate over the past six months, senior living is truly an essential service for the more than two million residents under our care. We will continue to advocate on behalf of our industry to ensure our needs are adequately addressed. Visit
argentum.org/advocacy for more information on Argentum's advocacy efforts.
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