HHS Secretary Alex Azar

Five members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation recently wrote to US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar on behalf of assisted living facilities (ALFs). Led by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), the legislators said, “We must rally around assisted living facilities like the country is now doing for nursing homes – and in the same way the public health sector has around hospitals. With a vulnerable population much like nursing homes, assisted living communities will not be able to overcome this unprecedented health crisis and protect our residents and caregivers without adequate funding and resources.”

The members of Congress noted that ALFs serve a highly vulnerable population and are incurring additional COVID-19-related expenses. But unlike nursing homes, ALFs have not received CARES Act funding. In their letter, the members requested that:

• HHS provide ALFs with $5 billion in emergency relief for staffing, testing, and PPE from CARES Act provider fund.
• HHS provide guidance to state governments to expand priority testing and funding to ALFs.
• FEMA send shipments of PPE to ALFs, as they did for nursing homes.

Read the full text of the letter.

In additional to Rep Connolly, Reps. A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-04), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), and Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) signed the letter. VHCA-VCAL is grateful for their advocacy on behalf of long term care providers.