Sen. Baldacci’s bill to increase funding to nursing homes earns unanimous support in the Senate

Posted: June 08, 2021 | Senator Baldacci

AUGUSTA — On Tuesday, the Maine Senate voted in favor of a bill from Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, to increase funding for Maine nursing homes and senior living facilities. LD 949, “Resolve, To Restore the MaineCare Nursing Facility COVID-19 Temporary Rate Increase,” received unanimous, bipartisan support in an initial vote.

Sen. Joe Baldacci

“Especially at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes, their staff, their residents and the families who rely on them were faced with incredible hardships and changes to try to keep patients safe and healthy. And of course, these efforts also came with a real monetary cost,” said Sen. Baldacci. “This bill does a lot of good work to help nursing homes on stable footing as we recover from this public health crisis.”

As amended, LD 949 directs $20 million to maintain emergency rate increases that support nursing facilities and the hardworking professionals who care for the residents. The bill also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to allocate $12.5 million in remaining available federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, for facility grants to cover COVID-19 expenses. This funding will pull down approximately $70 million in additional federal funds, totaling more than $100 million in funding for nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine’s nursing and long-term care facilities have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to their residents and our loved ones. In the most difficult and unrelenting conditions, they continued to provide quality, compassionate and personal care to their residents, finding creative ways to connect residents with their family members,” said President Jackson. “Now, Maine lawmakers must show the same commitment to our nursing homes and the hardworking professionals who work there. It’s not enough to talk about support, it’s time for action. It’s why I’m proud to throw my full support behind this proposal.”

Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic largely due to the ability of the virus to quickly spread in congregate living settings and the high risk the virus poses to older people and individuals with health conditions more common among seniors. 

LD 949 now faces votes in the House.