Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
New report adds costs of testing at assisted-living facilities
Last week, the American Health Care Association and the National Center of Assisted Living put out a report showing how much it would cost to give a single coronavirus test to every resident and staff member at nursing homes across the nation.
The estimate was nearly $440 million.
This week the groups have updated data to include the nation’s assisted-living facilities. That adds another $232 million
to the mix.
In all, the report states, testing each resident once at every nursing home and assisted-living facility in the U.S. would cost about $672 million.
In Pennsylvania the price tag would be just over $33 million.
“For months now, we have been advocating for expanded and priority testing in long-term-care facilities to protect our residents and caregivers, but this is a significant undertaking and cost for them to shoulder on their own,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “Assisted living communities have yet to receive any direct aid, despite also serving vulnerable seniors. While building on support received from HHS, we are asking for additional consideration for all long term care facilities, whether it be in regard to additional testing, personal protective equipment, or funding.”
Nursing homes have been hot spots of the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the high number of cases and deaths there, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended all nursing home residents and staff be tested once a week.
Officials from AHCA/ NCAL said they believe the same should be done at assisted living facilities.
Bases on the numbers in the updated report, weekly testing at both types of facilities would cost about $132 million each month in Pennsylvania, and more than $2.6 billion a month nationally.
Berks County is starting to test all patients and workers with the help of the National Guard. It will be more than 900 tests. Cost figures were not available Wednesday.
Scott Tittle, NCAL executive director, said assistedliving facilities need financial help to meet such a demand.
“With seniors among those most susceptible to the virus, the assisted living profession, in particular, is facing historic challenges when it comes to our most sacred charge — the health and safety of our residents,” he said. “Unfortunately, shortages of testing and PPE continue to be a challenge nationwide and because assisted living communities are not medical facilities, they have not been prioritized for testing or supplies. We encourage our elected leaders to prioritize our most vulnerable and those who care for them in long-term-care settings as they allocate these critical resources.”
In response to last week’s original version of the report, officials from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office cited the governor announcing recently his strategy to deal with COVID-19 in longterm care facilities, which includes plans to ensure universal testing is available.
“We know that there are some expenses associated with this, and we are working to assist facilities,” said Nate Wardle, Department of Health press secretary. “Facilities in need of test supplies can contact the department. We have recently received a significant number of test swabs from the federal government and we are using them in this effort.”
Wardle said nursing homes likely have commercial labs they regularly work with, but if not, they can send their specimens to the state’s public health lab for testing. Supplies and testing at the state lab are free.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living represent more than 14,000 nonprofit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities.