Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a proposed rule to increase the threshold for employees to be eligible for overtime. Workers earning less than $55,068 per year would be eligible under the proposed rule, up from the current $35,568 per year. This threshold would be automatically updated every three years to reflect current earnings data.

The rule clarifies which employees are executive, administrative or professional employees, who are then exempt from overtime pay. It is estimated that the new threshold would extend overtime eligibility for an additional 3.6 million salaried workers.

Argentum met with representatives from the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) yesterday to discuss the recently released Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, a package of care coordination and management, caregiver education and support, and respite services to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, reduce strain on unpaid caregivers, and help people remain in their homes and communities.

The meeting provided an opportunity for Argentum to share the value of senior living for people with dementia, including care models led by Argentum member companies that better serve this population. This was Argentum's second meeting this year with CMMI where we discussed opportunities for potential cost savings to Medicare and Medicaid that could be evaluated through demonstration projects. We anticipate continued outreach to CMMI on potential new models to be deployed in senior living communities.

The GUIDE model is primarily focused on better supporting caregivers of people with dementia through care coordination (primary and behavioral health services). It calls for providing a care navigator to help access services and supports, including clinical services and non-clinical services such as meals and transportation through community-based organizations. GUIDE will be tested nationwide from 2024-2032 as a voluntary alternative payment model (APM) through CMMI.

Calling all Argentum Advocates: Today at 2:00 pm ET, Argentum will present its monthly member-exclusive policy briefing.

In this session, we will share the progress we are making in stopping the drastic cuts to federal workforce programs that are critical to meeting the nation's long-term care workforce needs, along with updates on new workforce legislation Argentum is supporting, the status of the Veterans assisted living pilot program legislation, and other public policy issues facing the industry.

Argentum Advocates are invited to these exclusive sessions to hear directly from Argentum’s federal lobbyists on our current federal and state public policy efforts.

Argentum Advocates Member Briefing
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
2:00 PM ET

U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) recently visited The Terraces of Roseville, an Integral Senior Living community in northeast suburban Sacramento.

Congressman Kiley spent time with residents sharing his priorities in Congress, including veterans’ affairs, safety, affordability, renewable energy, and education to name a few, and answering their questions during a town hall event. Rep. Kiley also toured the beautiful community and had the opportunity to see “Central Park” where residents’ dogs have access from their apartments to the courtyard.

Kiley is a freshman member of the U.S. House, having previously served for six years in the California Assembly, so his name was already familiar to several residents.

Help spread the word! Lawmakers from coast to coast are gaining a fresh perspective on the value of senior living by attending these community visits. We need your help so that more lawmakers, at both the federal and state level, can tour our communities, meet with residents and staff, and better understand our policy issues and our proposed solutions.

We encourage all senior living communities to host visits. To get started, please review this a toolkit which includes sample invitations, a sample itinerary, best practices for preparing for your visit, and more.

DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT

Argentum has been closely following the tragic wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. We are working with the Maui County Office on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center which is responsible for senior living and similar communities in Maui on senior and provider needs as a result of the wildfires affecting the island. Our offers of assistance are being considered and we will provide information on requests as soon as determined by officials on the ground.
 
Our thoughts and prayers are also with seniors, providers and all who may be affected by Hurricane Hilary as it tracks to effect areas including southern California and potentially other areas in the Southwest United States.

The California Assisted Living Association (CALA) is closely monitoring the storm and is ready to assist with coordination should members have the need to evacuate. California requires robust emergency preparedness requirements which CALA was instrumental in developing and has a number of resources for members which can be found here. We will be in contact with CALA and other Argentum State Partner organizations for any assistance they need and will communicate developments including requests for assistance as soon as possible.

On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) visited The Ridge Pinehurst, a senior living community operated by The Ridge Senior Living in Lakewood, Colorado.

Congresswoman Pettersen's visit included part of the unveiling of the community's Veteran’s Wall of Honor, and was able to meet with a 96-year old World War II Veteran—the oldest Veteran at the community—along with other residents and their family members and community staff. The visit also included a discussion of critical issues facing senior living communities and Argentum's policy priorities.

While lawmakers are on recess, Argentum encourages all senior living communities to host lawmakers to give them a first-hand perspective of daily life in a community and better understand our challenges and the legislative solutions we have proposed.

Have you made your plans to host a lawmaker? Argentum's toolkit provides everything you need to plan and execute an event. Please reach out to Kyle Loeber at kloeber@argentum.org with any questions or to request assistance, we're here to help!

Argentum continues to make progress on Capitol Hill in advancing our federal public priorities, including most recently as part of the U.S. Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor-HHS appropriations bill, passed at the Committee level last month. 

Argentum successfully secured several workforce provisions in the bill, including increased funding for federal training programs that we are directly engaging with such as Job Corps, WIOA, and federal apprenticeship programs.

Additionally, as a result of our education campaign on direct-care workforce shortages, report language was included directing federal agencies to review the impact of workforce shortages on long-term care affordability and accessibility, and strengthen and expand access to HCBS, facilitate State planning, encourage innovative models that benefit the workforce and care recipients, and support quality and accountability.

Most importantly, the Senate appropriations bill did not include the drastic cuts that were advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives, which calls for reducing federal workforce program funding by nearly 30%, including eliminating Job Corps funding. Argentum spearheaded a grassroots campaign urging lawmakers to oppose these cuts, and greatly appreciates everyone who took part and shared these letters.

Notable elements of the Senate appropriations package include:

On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) visited Heritage Woods of Batavia, a Gardant-managed affordable assisted living community in northeastern Illinois.

During the visit, they discussed several workforce issues, including staffing challenges, concerns with proposed CMS staffing mandates, and targeted immigration reform to bring in nurses from foreign countries. They also discussed the difficulty hospitals are having discharging patients because of the challenges of finding an available nursing home bed, and the Illinois Supportive Living program as a model for affordable assisted living, benefiting residents and their families and saving the federal and state governments money..

Lawmakers are in the midst of their annual August recess, meeting with constituents and holding community events back in their states and districts. We need your help to be part of these discussions and to tell the story of senior living!

To help more senior living communities join in our grassroots advocacy efforts to educate and inform lawmakers on the value of senior living and our policy solutions, Argentum prepared a toolkit on hosting lawmakers for community visits, so they can see first-hand daily life of residents and caregivers and better understand our challenges and the legislative solutions we have proposed.

Last week, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) visited the new Merrill Gardens community in the historic Wright Park neighborhood of Tacoma.

He was able to make direct connections with the residents and spent time with them during a question-and-answer period. Congressman Kilmer enjoyed a tour of the community and the spectacular view of commencement day from the rooftop garden. The Merrill Gardens Wright Park community thoroughly enjoyed the visit with the Congressman and is very appreciative of his willingness to spend time making this meaningful connection.

Help us tell our story and share the value of senior living with lawmakers:

• Download the toolkit on how to host lawmakers for visits at your community;
• Download a complimentary copy of the Value of Assisted Living for America report;
• Make a contribution to Silver PAC, the fund supported exclusively by senior living advocates, dedicated to helping foster relationships with key lawmakers and educate them on our issues.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee voted 26-2 on Thursday to approve its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Importantly, the Senate version of the appropriations bill does not include the drastic cuts that were advanced earlier this month by the House Appropriations Committee.

Argentum spearheaded a grassroots campaign urging both House and Senate lawmakers not to move forward with the cuts to workforce development programs, which includes eliminating Job Corps funding and otherwise cutting nearly 30% of funding for critical workforce programs. We sincerely appreciate everyone who took part in our grassroots campaign!

Additionally, the Senate bill's report language includes:

• The Committee encourages the Department [of Labor], in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to study the effects of worker shortages in the direct care sector and the impact that worker shortages will have on long-term care affordability and accessibility, and long-term care programs and submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations not later than 270 days after enactment.
• The Committee provides $48,245,000 for the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program. This program supports training to integrate geriatrics into primary care delivery and develops academic primary care community based partnerships to address gaps in healthcare for older adults.
• The Committee expects CMS to strengthen and expand access to HCBS, facilitate State planning, encourage innovative models that benefit the workforce and care recipients, and support quality and accountability.
• The Committee directs ACL [Administration for Community Living], in coordination with DOL and CMS, to examine data on the potential impacts of worker shortages on long-term care affordability and accessibility.

While we are encouraged by the Senate’s actions to preserve workforce funding, the process is far from over. Lawmakers are preparing to leave for their annual August recess, and will return following the Labor Day holiday to resume negotiations on appropriations. Current FY spending is due to expire on September 30, at which point Congress must either pass their appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to fund the government until a broader spending agreement can be reached.

Argentum will continue its outreach to lawmakers who sit on the Congressional appropriations committees to protect against any cuts and to urge inclusion of our priorities. These include: funding through the Employment and Training Administration for grants to support the expansion of the direct care workforce; Job Corps direct care workforce apprenticeship programs; and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) workforce development grants.