White House Presses Congress To Act On Critical Covid Funding

Roll Call: White House Says New Funds Needed For Boosters, Existing Money Difficult To Repurpose 
The White House said Monday that it has about $300 billion in unspent COVID-19 funding but only about $60 billion that is unallocated as it warned lawmakers that it doesn’t have enough money for additional vaccination efforts unless Congress provides more relief. The administration again requested that Congress provide $22.5 billion in supplemental COVID-19 aid without offsets. It said it would be difficult and controversial to repurpose the $60 billion. Senate Republicans have pushed to repurpose existing funding. (Raman, 3/21)

AP: Biden Aides To Congress: Fund COVID Aid, Don't Cut Budget
Congress should provide the $22.5 billion President Joe Biden wants for continuing the battle against COVID-19 without cutting other programs to pay for it, senior administration officials said Monday. And if Republicans continue to insist that additional federal efforts to combat the pandemic must be paid for by culling spending elsewhere, the GOP should specify what it wants to cut, the officials said. (Fram, 3/21)

NPR: School Meal Programs To Lose Flexibility, Funding, If Congress Doesn't Act
When schools pivoted to virtual learning early in the pandemic, the National School Lunch Program was thrown into chaos. Millions of children rely on school meals to keep hunger at bay, so school nutrition directors scrambled to adopt new, creative ways to distribute food to families. Some of these changes were improvements on the status quo, they say. And as part of pandemic relief legislation, the federal Food and Nutrition services agency waived the requirement that schools serve meals in a group setting, increased school-year reimbursement rates to summer levels for school food programs and granted more flexibility in how food is prepared and packaged. (Aubrey, 3/21)

Also —

The Washington Post: Biden Has New Covid Plan That Spurs Worries About Readiness For Next Surge 
Cathy Colledge, who has Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, feels like she’s on her own trying to avoid a coronavirus infection that might kill her. New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention telling 99 percent of Americans living in counties labeled green or yellow that they can safely go without masks puts the onus on her to protect herself, whether she goes to the grocery store or travels to Florida to see her grandchildren. “I want to move on, too,” said Colledge, 70, of Salt Lake City. (Sun and Abutaleb, 3/21)

KHN: To Families’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn’t View Them As Essential Caregivers
When the Biden administration announced a set of proposed nursing home reforms last month, consumer advocates were both pleased and puzzled. The reforms call for minimum staffing requirements, stronger regulatory oversight, and better public information about nursing home quality — measures advocates have promoted for years. Yet they don’t address residents’ rights to have contact with informal caregivers — family members and friends who provide both emotional support and practical assistance. (Graham, 3/22)

Houston Chronicle: Democrats Press Biden To Get Planned Parenthood Back Into Texas Medicaid Program
Democratic congressional members from Texas are asking the Biden administration to push for the return of Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider, nearly a year after state leaders kicked out the organization over false claims it was selling fetal tissue. In a letter sent late Monday to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the group urged officials to enforce the program’s “free choice” provision, which allows recipients to access family planning services from any willing and qualified provider. (Blackman, 3/21)

In news about the Affordable Care Act —

CNN: Obamacare: Low-Income Americans Now Can Sign Up For $0 Premium Plans On Federal Exchange 
Low-income Americans who missed signing up for 2022 Affordable Care Act coverage can now enroll in plans with $0 premiums through the federal exchange's website. Those with incomes less than 150% of the federal poverty level -- $19,320 for an individual and $39,750 for a family of four -- can select policies on healthcare.gov through a special enrollment period, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told CNN exclusively on Monday. Most people will be able to select plans with no premiums, while others may have to pay a few dollars. The agency is launching advertising and outreach campaigns to spread the word about the new special enrollment period, which lasts for the rest of the year. The effort will also target those experiencing certain life changes, such as losing job-based coverage, getting divorced or aging out of a parent's policy, which have always allowed them to sign up for Obamacare policies during the year. (Luhby, 3/21)