Legislative Bulletin: Legislature Begins to Consider COVID-19 Nursing Home Legislation
February 5, 2021
Urge Lawmakers to Oppose Staffing Ratio Legislation!
Last week, the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act moved out of the Assembly Health Committee and into Assembly Codes. LeadingAge New York strongly opposes this legislation that amends the Public Health Law to create specific staffing ratios for nurses and other direct-care staff in hospitals and nursing homes.
The renewed attention to nursing home staffing is likely due in part to the Attorney General Report on Nursing Home Response to COVID-19 which came out in January. However, in August, the Department of Health published a study on mandatory minimum staffing ratios, and particularly the “Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act”. The study largely found that the costs associated with the legislation and the state-wide nursing workforce shortage would make the requirements of the legislation unattainable.
This week, LeadingAge NY updated our advocacy letter opposing staff-to-patient ratios to reflect both the findings of the Department’s report and the impacts of COVID-19 on staffing. Please click here to urge lawmakers to oppose the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act NOW!
Additionally, we have updated our Staffing Ratio Cost Template, which allows nursing home providers to input their own data and see what the fiscal impact of this legislation would be on their organization. We encourage members to fill in this template and use it in conversations with lawmakers.
LTC Bills Move to Senate and Assembly Health Agendas
Last night and this morning, the Senate and Assembly Health Committees released their agendas for next week’s committee meetings, both being held on Tuesday, Feb. 9th. Both agendas reflect the Legislature’s renewed interest in nursing home and adult care facility legislation. LeadingAge NY has been in contact with leadership about these proposals, vocalizing our concerns and/or opposition to the different bills. We have shared our memos with legislators that sit on the committees and suggested amendments where necessary.
The Assembly Health Committee Agenda can be viewed here and the Senate Health Agenda can be viewed here. We will continue our advocacy on these pieces of legislation and will update members if there is any necessary call to action. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the bills in committee, please feel free to contact Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org.
Two Advocacy Days Down, Two to Go
This week, LeadingAge NY members kicked off our 2021 Virtual Advocacy Days and met with key legislators from across the state. If you missed the first two advocacy days, don’t worry! There’s still plenty of time to get engaged in budget advocacy!
We still have two advocacy days scheduled for next week on Thursday, Feb. 11th and Friday, Feb. 12th.
Our 2021 Virtual Advocacy Day website has all the information members need to learn how they can get involved and have successful meetings with lawmakers. Tools include our Virtual Meeting Scheduling Guide, advocacy materials and issue briefs, as well as a recording of our Budget and Advocacy Day Briefing.
Once you have meetings scheduled, please send your meeting details to Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org so that we can track our joint efforts and advocacy impact. If you’d like the meeting to be held over Zoom but you or your lawmaker do not have an account, please let Sarah know and we will assist in setting up a Zoom link for your meeting using our LeadingAge NY account.
Lastly, at the conclusion of your meeting, please send Sarah an email and let us know how it went! LeadingAge NY is here to assist with any meeting follow up and can help answer questions from lawmakers. Additionally, it’s helpful for us to know what issues might have been most interesting to the legislators you spoke with.
Thank you, as always, for your participation in advocacy at this critical time.
Urge Lawmakers to Support Long-Term Care Providers Still Fighting COVID-19
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in March of 2020, aging services providers, including nursing homes, assisted living, home care, and senior housing, have faced numerous challenges in keeping the people they serve and their staff safe from COVID-19.
LeadingAge NY has drafted two advocacy letters, urging lawmakers to support long-term care providers that are still fighting COVID-19. The letters remind lawmakers what providers have endured for the last 11 months and implores them to ensure proper funding and resources for aging services.
Use the links below to contact your elected officials TODAY! After you send your letter, be sure to share the link with colleagues, board members, residents and families.
Family/Resident Letter - Urge Lawmakers to Support LTC Providers Still Fighting COVID-19
Provider Letter - Urge Lawmakers to Support LTC Providers Still Fighting COVID-19
Urge Lawmakers to Prioritize Senior Housing for COVID-19 Vaccine
Elderly New Yorkers living in senior housing are at high risk for COVID-19 and have not been appropriately prioritized by the State of New York or the Federal Government for COVID-19 vaccination. These seniors are often in their 80s, and many need assistance from outside caregivers with activities of daily living. An estimated 38% of all residents currently living in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program could be considered “frail” or “near-frail" putting them at risk of severe implications from coronavirus.
With the importance of these individuals being vaccinated in mind, senior housing providers should have the opportunity to work with the Department of Health and Regional Vaccination Networks to begin planning vaccination clinics that can occur on site.
LeadingAge NY Submits Housing Budget Testimony
The Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Housing was held Tuesday, February 2nd. The hearing was held jointly between the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees and was largely focused on the testimony of NYS Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas. Discussion included incoming federal funds for the COVID rent relief extension program, equitable support for renters and homeowners, and the state-wide five-year affordable housing plan that ends this year. LeadingAge NY submitted written testimony to the joint committees, echoing the call for a state-wide five-year affordable housing plan as well as the Affordable Independent Senior Housing Assistance Program.
Urge Congress to Pass Expanded COVID Relief!
On Wednesday, LeadingAge members from across the country joined the 2021 Policy Action Forum and discussed the national advocacy plans ahead of us this year. Our collective call to action was loud and clear: it has never been more important for us to raise our voices in support of federal policies that support older adults and aging services providers.
The next 100 days will be critical for our national advocacy efforts. Members can engage in national advocacy TODAY and click here to send a message to Congress, urging them to act on a new relief bill that will help with a national vaccine distribution program, ensure access to testing and PPE, strengthen our aging services workforce, and increase provider relief funds to help control the staggering costs of providing care and services during the pandemic.
Raise your voice TODAY by asking your members of Congress to support a new COVID-19 relief bill that prioritizes older adults and those who care for them!
LeadingAge & LeadingAge NY Coronavirus Resources
LeadingAge NY continues to closely follow all COVID-19 news and we are doing our best to keep members informed of updates, recommendations and guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH).
LeadingAge NY and LeadingAge National Member resources are linked below.
LeadingAge NY Coronavirus Resources
LeadingAge NY COVID-19 Weekly Update calls – Mondays at 11 a.m. Click here to join the call from your computer, android or apple device. Or you can join the call by dialing in: 877 853 5257 (Toll Free); Webinar ID: 852 964 255.
LeadingAge National Coronavirus Resources Page
LeadingAge National Pandemic Playbook
COVID-19 Group in the MyLeadingAge Member Community
Coronavirus Daily Member Update calls – Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Past call recordings are available here and you can register here for future calls.
Contact: Ami Schnauber; 518.867.8854; aschnauber@leadingageny.org
Sarah Daly; 518.867.8845; sdaly@leadingageny.org