River View on the Appomattox Health & Rehab Center Families,

Tonight, I am writing to ask for your help with a critically important, but slightly unusual, request.

As you know, COVID-19 has hit nursing homes extremely hard. Additional costs for repeat COVID-19 testing of staff and residents, personal protective equipment (PPE), hazard pay for employees, and environmental modifications have all added significant cost burden on top of our standard operations.

Today, the Virginia General Assembly began gathering in Richmond for a short special session to address COVID-19 related budget priorities. One of the issues they will discuss, and decide upon, is the extension of a $20 per patient day COVID-19 Medicaid funding supplement.

It is a sad reality that, for years, nursing homes have been reimbursed by Medicaid at a rate well below the total cost of providing care. Thankfully, early in this crisis, Governor Northam and the General Assembly approved a temporary $20 per day, per patient, funding increase to help cover extra costs.

As you know, we’re still fighting COVID-19 – all day every day – and, keeping your loved ones safe is our top priority. However, continued assistance is necessary to protect Virginia’s seniors. More than six in 10 Virginia nursing home residents rely on Medicaid, so this small stipend has helped us get through the last few months. Without it, operating would be even more difficult.

So, we’re asking for your help. Will you write or call your state representatives and tell them you are counting on them to extend the $20 per patient day emergency funding stipend at least through next summer?

To make this easy, go to this website: https://p2a.co/93LCl99

Just add your name and address, customize the pre-written letter as you see fit, then press send. The letter will automatically be routed to your representatives with a copy sent to the Governor’s office.

A large showing of support on this issue will help make it a priority over the next two weeks. Since time is of the essence, we are really hoping you can reach out either today or tomorrow.

As always, thank you for your support. We know that you too are making sacrifices to keep our community safe and we appreciate all of these efforts so very much.

Sincerely,

Todd Yacovone, LNHA
Administrator