John,

This weekend, expanded unemployment benefits, eviction protection, and other COVID-19 relief all expired. Congress is just beginning to negotiate a replacement package, and it’s vital that they hear from us about the need to expand Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).

HCBS keep people safe in a pandemic by keeping folks at home, and out of crowded institutions or nursing homes, where the infection can rapidly spread. An expansion of HCBS was in the HEROES Act passed by the House in May, but the Senate’s HEALS Act does not provide additional support.

Will you call your Senators today to let them know that we need a COVID-19 relief package that supports caregiving families, especially with additional funding for HCBS?

Make your call to (202) 224-3121 today. A suggested script is below, and feel free to include your own personal story in your message.

Caring Across Generations is joining partner organizations from across the country to participate in a call-in day today, where we all demand that our Senators pass real supports for caregiving families. Notably, we’re demanding that the next COVID-19 relief bill must:

• Increase funding for Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) to keep people out of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that are particularly dangerous right now.
• Provide additional stimulus payments and ensure that they are automatically available to everyone, including all Social Security Insurance and Veterans Affairs benefit recipients, adult dependents, and people who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN).
• Expand housing supports and homelessness prevention.
• Increase Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and enhance funding for senior legal services.

Call your Senators today at (202) 224-3121. Here’s a sample script you can use:

Hi, my name is (NAME), and I’m from (CITY, STATE).

I am calling as your constituent to urge you to include real support for caregiving families in the new COVID-19 relief bill, including funding for home and community based services. The need for dedicated Medicaid HCBS funding is more urgent than ever. We have seen rampant rates of infection and death in nursing facilities and other institutional settings.

Many aging and disabled people rely on HCBS to live in their own homes, but people are struggling to stay in the community. Without more funding, many more people will be forced into crowded nursing homes, where they will be at much greater risk of catching COVID-19. HCBS funding is desperately needed to ensure we can stay safe in our own homes. The House included funding for HCBS in the HEROES Act, but the Senate did not include it in the HEALS Act. It is critical that the Senate include dedicated HCBS funding in the final package.

Thank you for your time, and I hope I can count on you to protect caregiving families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once you’ve made your call, reply to this email to let us know who you talked to and how it went.

With care,

Josie Kalipeni
Director of Policy & Federal Affairs
Caring Across Generations