Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have begun circulating a letter to other lawmakers urging support of the SENIOR Act. Introduced last month, H.R. 6530 helps to support senior caregivers through two critical investments: (1) creating a $10 billion caregiver sustainability fund similar to the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), and (2) establishing $1.25 billion in federal grants for workforce development that would provide four-year grants of up to $1 million per entity.

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate this week to restore the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), which was retroactively ended last November. Argentum strongly supports this legislation to help address the nation’s caregiving workforce challenges, along with H.R. 6530, the SENIOR Act, which would provide new grants to bolster the nation’s caregiving workforce.

Argentum is pleased to share that Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced the SENIOR Act (Safeguarding Elderly Needs for Infrastructure and Occupational Resources). The legislation came at Argentum’s request and addresses the imminent need for investing in human infrastructure to support America’s rapidly aging population.

Earlier today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), the respective chair and ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a discussion draft of new legislation to address the federal response of the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics.

OSHA announced today that it plans to withdraw its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), effective upon its publication in the Federal Register tomorrow. The Supreme Court ruled earlier this month to block enforcement of the OSHA ETS and signaled that if it were to come before the Court again it was likely to be overturned.

Argentum sent a letter to President Biden yesterday, reiterating the urgent needs of senior living facilities as additional COVID-19 response measures are considered in the wake of the Omicron variant.

The federal public health emergency (PHE) was renewed today by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, extending the PHE for an additional 90-days. Without today's action, the PHE would have expired on January 16. This is the fourth extension of the PHE since it was first ordered by then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar in January 2020.

The Supreme Court issued rulings today in both the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and the CMS Interim Final Rule (IFR) vaccine mandates.

Argentum sent a letter to President Biden and HHS Secretary Becerra today, imploring the administration to directly supply senior living facilities with COVID-19 testing supplies, resuming a federal program for vaccine and booster administration, and reiterating the need for targeted federal financial relief.

Argentum issued the following press release in response to yesterday's announcement by HHS and HRSA on the Phase 4 Provider Relief Fund allocations.

Argentum Calls Out Biden Administration for Indefensibly Low COVID Relief Payments for Senior Living Caregivers

One day after HHS/HRSA said it is releasing $9 billion in Provider Relief Funds, a closer look at the methodology used to determine payments for assisted living providers is severely lacking.