EDITOR’S NOTE: The Congressional section below was written before today’s stunning announcement that President Joe Biden will be dropping his reelection campaign, followed in short order by a formal endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him. On a very practical note, Vice President Harris has a leg up on potential alternatives since it’s easier for her to utilize the existing contributions that have been made to the Presidential campaign, although doubts remain on her viability. The Washington Post has an excellent breakdown of how the replacement process will actually work. We’re in for a ride between now and the Democratic convention in August.

WHITE HOUSE:

The White House focused this week on the President’s response to last week’s assassination attempt on the former President, a new Executive Order to promote “Hispanic Serving Institutions” (HSI), and announcing the award of $5 billion for new infrastructure projects. Two items of indirect interest for us:

• They announced an entire slate of actions designed to increase the supply of affordable housing, including the availability of federal lands for development and the repurposing of federal buildings into housing, in communities across the country. They also awarded more than $325 million in grants, via HUD, for revitalizing neighborhoods in cities across the country. If you’ve got a facility located in one of the targeted areas, there could be opportunities for staff housing.

• They released a new tool highlighting the impact the various federal programs introduced by the current Administration is having for Americans. While specifically geared to the individual, it’s a good way to get a grasp on how widely federal actions impact day to day life.

CONGRESS:

The list of Congressional Democrats calling on the President to drop out of the race continues to grow, including some high-profile vulnerable Democrats, like Senator Jon Tester (D – MT). Even beyond the obvious concerns for Democrats regarding the President’s viability to win reelection, and the staggering 50% drop in political contributions to the reelection effort, there’s also a concern that the President will drag down other Congressional races. It’s a political nightmare for Democrats. With a nomination date tentatively set for August 1^st (owing to rules quirks), time is running out for Democrats. Elsewhere in the political world:

• The choice of Senator JD Vance of Ohio as the potential VP has meaningful implications for the Senate. Should the former President win the election, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine would select the replacement, but it would open the seat up to a Democratic challenge in 2026. On a more practical note, Senator Vance has a relatively quiet track record on healthcare related issues.

• Despite being found guilty in his corruption trial, Senator Bob Menendez of NJ refuted reports that he would resign. Calls from Democratic Senators are growing for the Senator to resign or be expelled.

• Politico is reporting that the FTC is planning on opening an investigation into online dynamic pricing, the practice in which companies charge different prices based upon data collection. Practically, this is yet another frontier in the discussion on data collection, which ultimately can impact companies that utilize private data. The reports come amid efforts by Congress to mark up a federal data privacy bill before the August recess.

• One other interesting wrinkle to the Presidential discussion comes from Nate Silver: paradoxically, despite the ongoing chaos for Democrats, the betting markets are less confident for a win for the former President as the possibility of another Democrat entering the race gets higher.

AGENCIES:

CMS released the final part two guidance related to outreach and education to consumers on the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan for Medicare beneficiaries. Here is the guidance, fact sheet, and updated timeline (all PDF).

HHS, via HRSA, awarded more than $2.5 million to encourage the development of a multi-state licensure compact for social workers, specifically in the context of enabling telehealth provision across state lines.

Not directly related to SNF’s, but the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a new set of required tenant protections for multifamily projects financed by Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, including extended required notifications related to rent increases, lease expiration and more. The central resource page with details is here.

FROM THE NOTEBOOK:

• Indiana’s transition to Managed Care is not going well.

• West Virginia announced plans to privatize 4 state-run facilities, which isn’t sitting well with the legislature.

• In the past, we’ve mentioned the long-term insurance program introduced by Washington state. Now, there’s a ballot initiative that would make it optional.

• Who woulda thunk? A new study to be published in JAMDA’s August issue points out that the relationship between staffing and quality goes well beyond mere numbers and that simply mandating more staff isn’t the answer.

z-INTEL WhatsApp info:

· Group Invite Link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/EoNiPi8ezrOBV6SW1Gf7nD

· Status Link: https://wa.me/message/WMSWZATTB5D6E1