Dem Aide: House Working From $150B HCBS Budget Set By Senate

Inside Health Policy / By Maya Goldman

House Democrats might now include closer to $150 billion for home- and community-based services, down from the $400 billion originally called for by President Joe Biden and the $250 billion reported to be in the offing last week, in their emerging reconciliation package, a senior Democratic aide indicated to Inside Health Policy Wednesday (Sept. 8).

The aide said the House heard from the Senate that their allotted number for HCBS was $150 billion. That’s the figure the House is working from, the aide said.

A different aide said last week (Sept. 2) that Senate advocates for the policy were pushing for a $250 billion investment in HCBS. Shannon McCracken, senior vice president of government relations for disability services provider ANCOR, said she believes HCBS advocates in the Senate are still advocating for $250 billion.

A third Democratic aide said last week that the numbers negotiated by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Mark Warner (D-VA) for the budget package make it difficult to fit all priorities into reconciliation instructions at full size.

The president initially called for a $400 billion investment in the Medicaid home care services. Advocates continue to push for the full amount, but representatives from ANCOR said they could deal with a $250 billion investment.

Accomplishing the intent of the policy wouldn’t be possible at $150 billion, though, McCracken said. She’s worried the money wouldn’t be enough to incentivize states to participate, or raise wages for home care providers, among other concerns.

Ady Barkan, the health care advocate who co-founded Be A Hero, launched a six-figure advertising campaign Wednesday (Sept. 8) to urge Congress to fully fund HCBS in reconciliation.

“This is the largest investment by a disability rights organization to urge Congress to fully fund HCBS ever. Millions of lives are at stake and Senators Sinema, Kelly, Manchin, Warner and the rest of Congress must hear why it is important to make this historic investment in home care,” Barkan said in a statement. -- Maya Goldman ([email protected])