Luján, Kaine Lead Legislation to Expand Access to Home and Community-Based Care for Older Adults and People with Disabilities

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Access Act, legislation to ensure older adults and people with disabilities have a real choice between receiving long-term care at home or in institutional settings. The legislation would make home and community-based care a mandatory Medicaid benefit, gradually eliminate waiting lists for services, strengthen the home and community-based care workforce, and provide greater support for family caregivers.

Under current Medicaid policy, many older adults and people with disabilities have access to nursing homes and other institutional care, but if they want to remain in their home and community, access to home and community-based services often depends on state waiver programs that can leave people waiting years - or even decades - for the care they need. The HCBS Access Act would expand access to home and community-based care and ensure that people who want to stay in their home and receive care can.

"Every American deserves the opportunity to receive care in the place they call home," said Senator Luján. "Far too many older adults and people with disabilities are forced into getting care in a setting far from home, not because it's what they want, but because it's the only option they have. My legislation would give families the freedom to choose the care that best meets their needs, while strengthening the caregiving workforce and providing critical support for family caregivers."

"Many Virginians want to age with dignity in their homes, where they can remain connected with their family, friends, and community," said Senator Kaine. "The HCBS Access Act will help give millions of people the opportunity to receive essential at-home services, while boosting support for the family caregivers and direct care workers who make independent living possible. I'm proud to support this legislation to help put at-home care within reach for more Virginians."

Specifically, the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act would:

• Make HCBS a mandatory Medicaid benefit, ensuring eligible individuals can choose between receiving care at home or in an institutional setting.
• Eliminate the need for administratively burdensome Medicaid HCBS waiver programs.
• Increase federal Medicaid funding for home and community-based services.
• Provide grants to help states expand their HCBS capacity and reduce waiting lists.
• Strengthen the direct care workforce by improving job quality, stability, and workforce availability.
• Support states in providing caregiving workers with stable, quality jobs and living wages.
• Expand training and support for family caregivers.
• Improve oversight and quality assurance for home and community-based services.

In addition to Luján and Kaine the HCBS Access Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.).

The Home and Community-Based Services Access Act is supported by Justice in Aging, National Health Law Program, PHI, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Caring Across, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), Autism Society of America, The Arc of the United States, Well Spouse Association, Little Lobbyists, Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, CommunicationFIRST, Independence Center, Cure SMA, Lakeshore Foundation, American Association on Health and Disability, Care in Action, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), National Alliance for Caregiving, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD), Easterseals, Autism Speaks, ANCOR, ADAPT, and MomsRising.

Supporting quotes can be found here.

Full bill text is available here.

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