April 10, 2020 Washington, DC — Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, and acting president and CEO, VNAA/EH, on the funds dispersal from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, announced Apr. 10, 2020:

“Our nonprofit members, and all other providers of aging services, have incurred significant additional expenses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We are grateful to HHS for taking quick action in dispersing much-needed money,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit aging services providers, acting president and CEO, VNAA/EH. “Our members and their staff are doing their utmost to provide care that ensures older adults’ health and safety under challenging circumstances in an unprecedented situation. Today’s disbursements, based on 2019 Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements will, we expect, help some of our provider members in nursing homes, home health, and hospice. We look forward to future allocations from the still-to-be distributed $70 billion from the CARE Act Provider Relief Fund and hope these payments will continue to support key aging services providers, including those that participate in Medicaid (including Medicaid home and community-based services), Medicare Advantage, and PACE organizations.”

Said LeadingAge member Al Balko, president and CEO, MJHS Health System in New York City: “We thank our Congressional allies Senator Schumer, Representative Espaillat and Representative Jeffries. Our dedicated staff are on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, caring for the most vulnerable members of our community. This funding is a lifeline for our post-acute health care system, allowing us to continue our essential work during this pandemic. We appreciate the support of the President, Secretary and Administrator, as well as the New York Congressional Delegation. These grants are a critical step forward in our ability to continue caring for the ever-increasing number of COVID-19 patients being discharged across New York City.”

We represent more than 5,000 aging-focused organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we address critical issues by blending applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building. We bring together the most inventive minds in our field to support older adults as they age wherever they call home. We make America a better place to grow old. For more information: www.leadingage.org

About ElevatingHOME and VNAA: ElevatingHOME is uniting stakeholders to advocate for high-quality home-based care as the foundation of a patient-centered health care system. ElevatingHOME's subsidiary organization, VNAA, is a national trade association that supports, promotes and advocates for mission-driven, nonprofit providers of home health, hospice and palliative care.