House passes measure to fund stimulus payments, vaccine
distribution, jobless aid, more
by Dena Bunis, AARP,
February 27, 2021
En español | The U.S. House of
Representatives passed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on Feb. 27 to fund
increases in vaccine distribution, $1,400 cash payments to millions of
Americans, extended unemployment benefits and support for caregiving, nutrition
programs, health care and pensions.
The 219-212 vote sets the stage for the U.S. Senate to take up
the measure. AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins sent a letter to legislative leaders Thursday
supporting many of the elements of the wide-ranging bill. If the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 becomes law, it will be the sixth coronavirus-related
legislation enacted by Congress since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
The Biden administration Friday issued a statement of support for the measure,
which contains most of the provisions of the package the president sent to
Capitol Hill in January.
Stimulus
payments
·
Individuals earning up
to $75,000 in annual income, heads of households earning $112,500 and couples
with incomes up to $150,000 would be eligible for $1,400 in cash payments.
·
Eligible dependents,
including adult dependents, also would each get $1,400.
·
People receiving
Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Administration
(VA) and Railroad Retiree benefits would automatically receive the payment,
even if they don't normally file tax returns.
Vaccines and
testing
·
The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would receive $7.5 billion to improve the process of distributing and administering the
COVID-19 vaccines, including help to state, local and tribal health
departments.
·
An additional $46
billion would go for testing, contact tracing, diagnosing and monitoring the
pandemic, on the federal and state levels.
·
The public health
workforce would be bolstered with $7.6 billion, including resources for
community health centers for vaccine distribution and testing.
·
The Department of
Health and Human Services and the CDC would get $1.75 billion to improve
surveillance of new COVID-19 strains.
Unemployment
insurance
·
Emergency
pandemic unemployment assistance would be expanded
until Aug. 29, and more self-employed and part-time individuals could qualify
for benefits.
·
The extra weekly
unemployment benefit would increase from $300 to $400 until Aug. 29.
·
The total number of
weeks individuals who are not able to return to work safely can collect
benefits would rise from 50 to 74.
Paid family
leave
·
Tax credits to
businesses that offer paid leave to their employees would be extended to Sept.
30. That includes offering family caregivers the same leave available to
parents and workers who need to care for themselves.
·
The bill would
not require businesses to offer paid leave.
Nutrition
·
The 15 percent increase
in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food
stamps, would be extended.
·
The Community
Supplemental Food Program — food packages for seniors — would receive $37
million to keep it available until Sept. 30, 2022.
·
Older Americans Act
programs, including nutrition services, home- and community-based services,
vaccination outreach, social isolation and caregiver support, would receive
$1.4 billion.
Housing
·
Emergency rental
assistance and other relief for the homeless would get $30 billion.
·
$10 billion would be
available for mortgage assistance.
Nursing homes
·
Half a billion dollars
would support the deployment of strike teams to nursing homes with diagnosed or
suspected COVID-19 resident or staff cases.
·
$200 million would go
for Infection control and the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 in skilled
nursing facilities.
Health care
·
A two-year increase
in Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies would
help people afford health plans in the ACA marketplaces. People with incomes
above 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($51,520 for an individual)
would qualify for subsidies so they would not have to pay more than 8.5 percent
of their annual income for their health care premiums.
·
COBRA subsidies would
be available through the end of 2021 to help workers who have been laid off or
furloughed. Medicare-eligible individuals on COBRA would be reminded to
transition to Medicare to avoid Part B late-enrollment penalties.
Pensions
·
Severely underfunded
multiemployer pension plans could get federal assistance from the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
Dena Bunis covers Medicare, health care, health policy and
Congress. She also writes the “Medicare Made Easy” column for the AARP
Bulletin. An award-winning journalist, Bunis spent decades working for
metropolitan daily newspapers, including as Washington bureau chief for the
Orange County Register and as a health policy and workplace writer for Newsday.
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