Argentum's Silver PAC hosted a reception this week attended by nearly two-dozen members of Congress, offering a forum to meet Silver PAC contributors and share ideas on solving the workforce and affordability challenges in senior living.

Among the discussions included ideas on how to make senior living more affordable by working within the tax code, by allowing HSAs, FSAs, and other tax-advantaged savings accounts to be used to pay for long-term care expenses without a penalty, either for the individual or for a family member accessing services. Lawmakers also suggested ideas with long-term care insurance and life insurance.

Lawmakers also shared their interest in addressing the workforce needs across long-term care, with a need to recruit and retain more than 20 million workers by the year 2040. Argentum has already advanced language through the appropriations process to utilize existing federal workforce funding for senior caregiver programs. Lawmakers also expressed concerns about the nursing home staffing mandate and its unintended consequence of pulling workers from assisted living.

Lawmakers attending the event included: