I. FOLLOWING THE NARRATIVE: A quick summary of national media trends last week.
(* indicates that LeadingAge is featured in the story.)
Build Back Better remained in the spotlight throughout last week. Intense negotiations yielded a late Friday night House passage of infrastructure legislation — but not Build Back Better and its social safety net – related components. Those elements could be voted on in the House the week of Nov. 15th. News on vaccine mandates also moved forward: the much-awaited federal vaccine rules and guidelines were announced on Thursday. The impact of mandates on the long-term care workforce, as well as staffing challenges generally, remained a media focus.
Build Back Better Reconciliation
- The New York Times: How a $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Survived an Intraparty Brawl
- Politico: ‘Whole day was a clusterf—‘: Dems overcome distrust to send infrastructure bill to Biden
- NBC News: Home care advocates, those needing services say Build Back Better funding ‘critically important’ for industry
- MSNBC: Medicare may cover hearing services if Democrats’ spending plan becomes law. It’s only one gap in coverage that beneficiaries should prepare for
- JD Supra: President Biden Announces Healthcare Provisions in Build Back Better Framework
- New York Times: Biden Promised to Fix Home Care for Seniors. Much More Help May Be Needed
Vaccine Mandates & Workforce Shortages
- McKnights Senior Living: Long-term care workers must be vaccinated by Jan. 4 under OSHA, CMS rules
- The New York Times: The Biden administration sets a Jan. 4 vaccination deadline for private sector workers
- BloombergLaw: Biden Vaccine Rule Will Let Employers Make Workers Pay for Tests
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Federal COVID-19 vaccination, testing mandates have pros, cons, experts say
- Bloomberg Law: Vaccine Mandate Leaves Health-Care Providers Lamenting Omissions
- USA Today: Hospitals face staffing shortages, employee clashes as COVID-19 vaccine mandate looms
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Resourceless vaccine rule could have ‘disastrous’ impact on long-term care
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: $1.6 billion remains in Biden’s proposal for ‘historic’ workforce allocations
- KXAN: Robot moves into Austin assisted living center, serves residents meals amid worker shortage
- *Provider: Long Term Care Sector Continues to Battle Worsening Workforce Crisis
- Forbes: Millions of Americans are abandoning their jobs. The caregiving crisis has pushed me to join them
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Dwindling savings, less fear of COVID may drive some back to work, experts say
II. Other Clips that Influenced the Week: LeadingAge is a sought-out, reliable source for multiple trade and national media outlets (see that coverage posted in our LeadingAge Press Room). Other key clips that shaped the narrative last week:
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Providers approach holidays with eye toward normalcy, safety
- The Washington Post Magazine: Why Was the Covid Death Toll So High at Some Veterans Homes?
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Providers demand feds change on monoclonal antibody therapy limits
- Kaiser Health News: Nursing Home Residents Overlooked in Scramble for Covid Antibody Treatments
- The Hill: Racial justice isn’t achievable without housing justice
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Telehealth reduces stress, increases access to care for nursing home residents: study
- Kaiser Health News: ‘Covid Hit Us Over the Head With a Two-by-Four’: Addressing Ageism With Urgency
III. What’s On Our Radar — this week’s likely priorities:
- Advocacy focused on aging services elements of Build Back Better
- Sorting out details of vaccine mandates rules and guidance
IV. National Statements & Products (all posted on the Press Room page):
