Thank You for Advocating: The Cap was Removed!

• By: Ben Hawkins
• On: 06/29/2023 13:55:23
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

Good news! On Tuesday night, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee voted unanimously to remove the $4.8 million cap on the Extraordinary Circumstance Allowance (ECA). This means there is no longer an arbitrary limit, and the Department of Health and Human Services can allocate as much ECA support as it can within already allocated funds. 
 
Thank you to everyone who picked up the phone or emailed the AFA Committee members. Your voice sent a clear message that the cap was far too low and that nursing facilities need more support to continue providing quality care. 
 
We encourage you to follow up with the AFA members and thank them for listening and making this much-needed adjustment. 
 
The legislative session is not yet done! MHCA is working on additional priorities, such as LD 451 An Act to Ensure Transparent and Accountable Temporary Nurse Agencies and LD 1474 Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services to Expedite Reimbursement of Nursing Facilities. Those bills are currently on the special appropriations table, and we might reach out with other action alerts when the time comes. 
 
Lastly, thank you to those who already emailed Ben Hawkins to share that you contacted the AFA Committee. If you haven't yet, please email bhawkins@mehca.org and let us know what you did for our grassroots records. 

Staff contact: bhawkins@mehca.org