Congressman Steven Horsford Advocates for Nevada’s Seniors and Vulnerable Communities in Coronavirus Pandemic

Las Vegas, Nev. -- Today, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) took part in a Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Tele-Roundtable, to discuss solutions for contact tracing, health disparities, and nursing homes issues as they relate to COVID-19.

The Congressman joined his colleagues to pose questions to Marylou Sudders, the Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services and Richard Mollot, the Long Term Care Community Coalition Executive Director.

"As we navigate this pandemic, we must ensure that the facilities designed to care for our most vulnerable communities, including older Nevadans, are accountable to the patients they serve and the families who have trusted their loved ones to their care," Congressman Horsford said. "We owe it to our seniors to keep them safe and we must show our elders the respect they deserve by guaranteeing that they are not left more vulnerable to a COVID-19 infection."

The Congressman discussed his legislation, the Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Act of 2020, which will require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to publish demographic information on COVID-19 infections and deaths in long-term care facilities. The bill also requires data to be collected regarding demographic information on infections and deaths to track the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color. That legislation passed alongside the Heroes Act last week.

Congressman Horsford also called attention to the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on people of color across the country, and particularly in Nevada, where these communities represent an unequally large percentage of COVID-19 cases.

"Nevada is amongst the hardest hit states economically in our nation. Our economy relies heavily upon tourism, travel, and the service sector which is made up of a large number of workers of color. While our COVID-19 numbers are lower than other states, they are troubling nonetheless," Congressman Horsford told the roundtable.

"And, unfortunately, much like the rest of the country, most infections and deaths have been those of the African American, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Tribal community. These communities often have less access to health care overall. It is unacceptable that across the country, people of color are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus, and are more likely to have negative outcomes if they fall ill."