KFF October 8, 2021
Key Takeaways
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified longstanding issues surrounding the unmet need for home and community-based services (HCBS) among seniors and people with disabilities and shortages in the direct care workforce that provides these services. The Biden Administration recently announced that it will require vaccination for staff in Medicaid and Medicare certified home health agencies, along with nursing homes and other health care settings. However, a notable share of direct care workers are vaccine hesitant, so new requirements may exacerbate existing staff shortages. Efforts to develop policies to expand HCBS and strengthen the direct care workforce have centered on Medicaid as the primary payer for these services. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed earlier this year, provides states...
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