Congressman Horsford Leads Efforts to Deliver for Seniors through President Biden’s Build Back Better Budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) led his colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee to advance proposals in President Biden's Build Back Better plan that would improve nursing home care, address health care workforce shortages, and expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing benefits.
"As our nation rebuilds from the devastating impact of COVID-19, we have a special opportunity to improve the lives of seniors in Nevada and across the country," said Congressman Steven Horsford. "This afternoon, I was glad to see the House Ways and Means Committee advance my proposals to strengthen nursing home care, create good-paying health care jobs, and expand Medicare to cover the full spectrum of health. Seniors deserve dignity and safety in retirement, and I am committed to delivering the progress they need."
During today's markup, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to pass the following legislation authored by Congressman Horsford:
- Medicare Dental Coverage Act, which would expand Medicare Part B to cover most dental services, including preventive dental care, routine dental treatments, and dentures.
- Nursing Home Workforce Support and Expansion Act, which would improve nursing home care by strengthening wages and benefits for long-term care workers. This bill is included in the Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2021, which would dedicate funding to vital programs and close current policy gaps to better protect vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.
- Health Providers Training Act, which would allow hospitals to use the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to train low-income workers for high-demand health careers. This bill is included in the Pathways to Health Careers Act, a bipartisan bill to modernize the HPOG program.
Congressman Horsford delivered an opening statement in strong support of the proposal to expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing benefits. The full video of his statement can be viewed here. His remarks as prepared for delivery can be viewed here.
In full, the legislation passed by the House Ways and Means Committee today would:
- Improve senior health by expanding Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits, quickly getting new vision and hearing services to beneficiaries in 2022 and 2023, respectively, to eliminate cost and coverage barriers to this care.
- Protect the elderly and people with disabilities in nursing homes by:
- Funding elder justice programs that increase support for state and local Adult Protective Services offices and long-term care ombudsman programs to better prevent elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation;
- Addressing the staffing shortages in long-term care facilities by providing funds for recruitment and retention, including wage subsidies, access to child care, tuition reimbursement, and student loan replacement; and
- Improving the accuracy and reliability of the data collected in these facilities to increase transparency for patients and their families, and strengthen the federal understanding of care quality and reimbursement, and study and update staffing – a key predictor of quality and safety.
In addition to key proposals focused on seniors, the House Ways and Means Committee also passed legislation today that would modernize the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which invests in communities and workers negatively impacted by trade. To learn more about the impact of this legislation on Nevada's Fourth District, click here.
Media Contact
Geneva Kropper | geneva.kropper@mail.house.gov | 202-849-0251