US Senator

American Rescue Plan Brings Big Benefits for Older Americans

By U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto

Older Americans have faced the most severe consequences from the coronavirus pandemic. As the group at the greatest risk from COVID-19, seniors have had to worry about their health and their finances. Seniors in nursing homes and other living facilities have been especially vulnerable. And older Nevadans have all endured isolation from friends,

Catherine Cortez Masto children, and grandchildren.   The American Rescue Plan is here to help. Not only will it take decisive action against the pandemic so that seniors can return to normal safely, but it also provides desperately needed financial relief. After weeks of negotiations, we are delivering $20 billion in a national vaccine program to speed up the delivery of vaccines to Americans. More rapid vaccination will save countless lives. It’s also the quickest way to allow seniors to safely spend time with their families again.  To keep the most vulnerable seniors safe, nursing homes and long-term care facilities will receive $250 million for “strike teams” of experts that manage and respond to coronavirus outbreaks at assisted living facilities. These teams, made up of health care and social service workers, will work together as they do during other emergencies and natural disasters to tackle the outbreaks. The American Rescue Plan also sets aside $200 million so nursing homes can get technical assistance to control infection, vaccinate residents, and treat any residents who contract COVID-19. This relief package also includes many benefits for seniors not living in group settings. Most Nevadans over 65 will be eligible to receive stimulus checks of up to $1,400, in addition to their regular Social Security benefits. Multi-generational households will also receive $1,400 for every person in the household, including grandparents, parents, and children. If you’re still working, you may qualify for expanded Earned Income Tax Credits for childless workers, and if you’re unemployed or furloughed because of the pandemic, you’ll be eligible for expanded unemployment benefits. On top of direct relief, the plan includes more money for food assistance and nutrition programs benefiting thousands of seniors in Nevada. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which in recent years has helped as many as 7,000 low-income seniors in Nevada get access to healthy food, received additional funding, and hundreds of thousands of SNAP beneficiaries will continue to benefit from the 15 percent increase in their monthly benefits.     Other services for seniors will be expanded as well, from meal delivery to senior centers to transportation. There’s more money for programs to provide caregivers for seniors and prevent abuse and neglect of older Americans. And seniors will benefit from rental and mortgage support and other measures to help keep them in their homes. In addition, the American Rescue Plan upholds pension promises for millions of American workers and retirees who have been in danger of seeing their pension benefits cut by as much as 65 percent. The Plan includes protections for 185 plans nationwide, including plans that cover thousands of Nevadans. I also worked hard to make sure that the Plan included help for Nevada’s hard-hit hospitality and travel industries, which will help our economy make a robust recovery. And I insisted on more help for local governments in Nevada and across the country, so they could continue to keep first responders on their payrolls and offer critical services to seniors and others. I’m eager to return to a lifestyle where I can safely see my loved ones and participate in activities that bring me joy. I know many seniors in Nevada feel the same way, and I’m proud that we were able to deliver the relief our state needs to get back to normal.