Chasing a Marshall Plan for skilled nursing

As the skilled nursing sector continues its march toward recovery, providers need a more comprehensive plan for long-term workforce and payment stability. That’s why Michael Bassett, senior vice president of government relations for the American Health Care Association, wants an all-of-Congress approach that takes into account the ground-level realities nursing homes are facing as Americans get older and sicker. “If Congress doesn't look at this soon, because of a lag in training doctors and nurses and CNAs and LPNs, then this is going to be a real big problem in 10 years,” Bassett tells McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Senior Editor Kimberly Marselas in this episode. “It's bigger than us,” he says. “The whole Congress needs to kind of have a new Marshall plan to get workers into these fields, or else … with 11,000 people each day turning 65 … we’re not going to have enough people to care for them.” Bassett leads AHCA’s work on Capitol Hill and earlier this month had nearly 700 helpers, as members, frontline staff and vendors met with elected officials to help illustrate providers’ pain points. Workforce has recovered to near the sector’s pre-pandemic baseline, allowing other issues to rise to the top of the skilled nursing wishlist. Most important, and maybe most possible this session, is Medicare Advantage reform. Listen to this episode recorded in Washington, DC, to learn three major MA areas Basset believes Congress could address to reduce friction between providers and private insurers, why bipartisan support for change is growing, and what it all means for post-acute and long-term care patients. Come for political insights and a little prognostication and stick around for insights on claims denials, Medicare’s three-day stay requirement and CNA lockout legislation. It’s all in this McKnight’s exclusive interview. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.