White House Hosts Event on American Rescue Plan HCBS Funding
December 13, 2023On December 12, 2023, the White House hosted an event dedicated to enhanced funding for home and community-based services (HCBS) provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The discussion focused heavily on the benefits of the ARPA funding to direct care workers and on the state use of funds to increase wages.
Presenters frequently referred to the ARPA funding as a “downpayment” on long-term fixes to the HCBS system, with a specific emphasis on addressing workforce shortages. The event was largely a political rallying call, with participation from labor unions and Democratic Governors, and it may be used as a catalyst to revive interest in longer-term HCBS funding.
As a reminder, President Biden initially called for $400 billion in additional HCBS funding (subsequently lowered to $150 billion) in his Build Back Better proposal, and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) has introduced legislation that would extend the ARPA funding for an additional two years.
A recording and transcript is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3_8_JA9sFI.