AgeSmart Blog

While details remain scarce, the wide-sweeping jobs and infrastructure proposal that President Biden released on Wednesday, titled “The American Jobs Plan,” contains good news for both advocates for and recipients of home and community-based services. With $400 million of investment in “expanding access to quality, affordable home or community-based care for aging relatives and people with disabilities,” the plan does not yet detail exactly how this boost to Medicaid HCBS would be implemented. 

One of n4a’s priorities, the Money Follows the Person Program, is specifically mentioned, although it’s unclear if it would receive a long-term authorization or it would be made permanent. It is also important to note that this section of the larger plan is also focused on HCBS and other care workers, not just beneficiaries. Wednesday’s announcement included the following nod to issues important to the Administration such as minimum wage increases and support for unions: “These investments will help hundreds of thousands of Americans finally obtain the long-term services and support they need, while creating new jobs and offering caregiving workers a long-overdue raise, stronger benefits, and an opportunity to organize or join a union and collectively bargain.” It is not yet clear to n4a how these twin goals of greater access to services and a better-paid workforce will intersect. n4a will be engaging in advocacy around this jobs and infrastructure package as it pertains to our policy agenda and members’ priorities, including, potentially, investments in transportation, the need to grow and strengthen the HCBS workforce, and infrastructure options that help older adults stay engaged and age well at home (e.g., broadband initiatives).