Congressman Gonzalez Urges HHS Sec. Azar to Provide Emergency Funds for Senior Living Facilities for COVID-19

WASHINGTON – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and 18 other Members of Congress requested Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar allocate unused Provider Relief Fund monies as soon as possible to provide Assisted Living Facilities with much needed support.

Senior living center operators have received a fraction of the relief needed and continue to sustain heavy financial losses while caring for a vulnerable population. COVID-related losses total roughly $15 billion for these care centers.

In the letter to Secretary Azar, the Members of Congress discuss the devastating impact of COVID-19 on senior living communities and request additional funds:

"Such devastating losses are not sustainable and will dramatically impede the ability of these facilities to administer long-term rapid-testing and vaccinations. Therefore, senior living communities must have the financial resources to procure tests and acquire the requisite PPE and staff to effectively implement widescale testing. We urge you to allocate unused Provider Relief Fund monies, immediately, to provide assisted living communities with much needed support."

Unlike other providers, whose losses were felt in the earlier days of this pandemic (due to loss of elective procedures), the senior living industry is suffering our most significant losses now and these losses will only be compounded in the future. This is due to the sharp decline in occupancy rate. Many providers are reporting declines in admissions of 75% compared to the same period in 2019. In fact, assisted living occupancy fell to a record low in the second quarter of 2020.

The full letter can be found here.