House Democrats have been working on proposals in an effort to pass portions of the Build Back Better Act that would include universal paid family and medical leave, access to child care and other initiatives that would impact Medicare recipients, retirement security for individuals, and protections for the elderly and disabled.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts, recently announced a number of legislative proposals under the budget reconciliation process, a process that Democrats are looking to pass with a majority in the House. Below are some of the specifics of the proposals that impact Medicare, retirement security, the elderly and the disabled as identified in a press release from Neal’s office
Strengthen retirement security by:
- Requiring employers without employer-sponsored retirement plans to automatically enroll their employees in IRAs or 401(k)-type plans; and
- Making the Saver’s Credit refundable so that those without any income tax liability are eligible to receive the benefit in the form of a contribution to their retirement account.
Improve elder health by:
- Expanding Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits, quickly getting new vision and hearing services to beneficiaries in 2022 and 2023, respectively, to eliminate cost and coverage barriers to this care.
Protect the elderly and people with disabilities in nursing homes by:
- Funding elder justice programs that increase support for state and local Adult Protective Services offices and long-term care ombudsman programs to better prevent elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation;
- Addressing the staffing shortages in long-term care facilities by providing funds for recruitment and retention, including wage subsidies, access to child care, tuition reimbursement, and student loan replacement; and
- Improving the accuracy and reliability of the data collected in these facilities to increase transparency for patients and their families, and strengthen the federal understanding of care quality and reimbursement, and study and update staffing – a key predictor of quality and safety.
Neal said, in a press release from his office that the proposals being considered are directed at improving the lives of working families who have struggled over the last year-and-a-half due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protections for working families are needed in this bill Neal said.
“This grueling pandemic continues to deliver one-two punches in the form of the public health and economic crises, and the American people are counting on us to build back better,” Chairman Richard E. Neal said. “Later this week, the Ways and Means Committee will put an end to the idea that only some workers are worthy of ‘perks’ like paid leave, child care, and assistance in saving for retirement, and finally commit to investments that make these supports fixtures of the American workplace. We will also examine how we can commit resources to modernize a key trade program that supports American workers facing hardship due to international competition, and how to fund better protections for our nation’s elderly. This is our historic opportunity to support working families and ensure our economy is stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient for generations to come.”
