Historic Pennsylvania state budget investment delivers critical lifeline for seniors in long-term care

The Pennsylvania Health Care Association – a statewide advocacy organization for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents and their providers of care – has issued the following statement in response to the passage of the 2021-22 Pennsylvania state budget. The statement can be attributed to Zach Shamberg, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.

Tonight, Pennsylvania’s long-term care providers can breathe a sigh of relief – one fifteen months in the making – knowing they can continue caring for their vulnerable residents in the weeks and months to come.

Members of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and Governor Tom Wolf affirmed their commitment to long-term care providers, workers, residents and families by answering their calls for critical funding support. In approving this year’s state budget, lawmakers have chosen to make a historic investment in the commonwealth’s nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living communities, prioritizing federal stimulus dollars from the American Rescue Plan for an industry that truly needs to be rescued. 

PHCA and our members are grateful to our elected leaders for their support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and for standing with Pennsylvania’s vulnerable population and their providers of care. Throughout the past fifteen months, our leaders listened, acted and joined our fight. And today, that fight culminated in a significant step toward sustaining Pennsylvania’s long-term care continuum in the months ahead.   

But the fight is far from over. 

We look forward to working with members of the General Assembly and Governor Tom Wolf to ensure Pennsylvania’s long-term care continuum continues to be a priority.