The proposal would expand access to long-term care at home, reduce waiting lists and increase support for direct-care workers and family caregivers

Organ Mountain News report

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján is co-leading legislation that would make home and community-based services a mandatory Medicaid benefit, giving eligible older adults and people with disabilities greater access to long-term care outside institutional settings.

Luján, D-N.M., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act, which also would phase out waiting lists for services, increase federal Medicaid funding and expand support for direct-care workers and family caregivers.

Under current Medicaid policy, nursing home and other institutional care is generally covered for eligible beneficiaries, while access to home and community-based services often depends on state waiver programs.

Those programs can limit enrollment and result in long waits for people who want to receive care at home rather than in an institution, according to Luján’s office.

“Every American deserves the opportunity to receive care in the place they call home,” Luján said. “Far too many older adults and people with disabilities are forced into getting care in a setting far from home, not because it’s what they want, but because it’s the only option they have.”

The legislation would eliminate the need for Medicaid home and community-based services waiver programs and require the services to be offered as a standard Medicaid benefit to eligible recipients.

It also would provide grants to states to expand home-based care capacity and reduce waiting lists.

The bill calls for strengthening the direct-care workforce through efforts to improve job quality, stability and workforce availability. It also would support states seeking to provide caregiving workers with stable jobs and living wages.

Family caregivers would receive expanded training and support under the proposal, which also includes new oversight and quality-assurance provisions for home and community-based services.

“My legislation would give families the freedom to choose the care that best meets their needs, while strengthening the caregiving workforce and providing critical support for family caregivers,” Luján said.

The bill has 16 additional Senate cosponsors and is backed by a coalition of aging, disability, caregiving, labor and health organizations.