Rep. Miller-Meeks Urges CMS to Approve Bettendorf Facility for Seniors
Washington DC – Fighting for Quad Cities seniors, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks today urged the Centers for the Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to approve a UnityPoint Health application for a senior’s healthcare facility in Bettendorf.
UnityPoint is seeking to open a new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) location in the Quad Cities. PACE centers are a vital lifeline for seniors who wish to live on their own while still having access to nursing home and healthcare services. Approval of the Bettendorf location is critical for Iowa as UnityPoint Health intends to submit application for PACE location in Waterloo and Hiawatha.
Joining Miller-Meeks were U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Representatives Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), and Randy Feenstra (R-IA).
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure,
We are writing to express support for a pending service area expansion (SAE) application by UnityPoint Health to open a new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) location in Bettendorf, Iowa.
PACE locations serve as a vital lifeline for seniors who seek to live with more independence. This unique program enables people who would otherwise need to be in a nursing home to remain at home and in their community while still having appropriate access to healthcare services. We strongly support expansion of these programs to ensure that our constituents can make individual healthcare choices that best suit the needs of themselves and their families. Siouxland PACE was the first PACE program in Iowa and has participated since 2008.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has the necessary information needed to approve the SAE application and complete the program agreement. We understand that CMS has strong protocols to ensure expansion sites meet all requirements to provide a safe, thriving environment for each participant. We support that rigorous process. As there is local excitement about offering PACE in eastern Iowa, we ask that CMS move as expeditiously as possible with the approval of UnityPoint Health’s pending SAE application before the 3rd quarter PACE application cycle deadline of September 27, 2024.
If the pending SAE application for Bettendorf, IA, is not approved prior to the 3rd quarter deadline, all forthcoming SAE applications will be unduly delayed because the next SAE application cannot be submitted until December 27, 2024. UnityPoint Health intends to submit SAE applications for two additional PACE expansion sites in Waterloo and Hiawatha – communities that are also in great need of PACE. Because each pending SAE application must be completed before another can be initiated, delays will negatively impact older adults not just in Bettendorf but in Waterloo and Hiawatha as well. All information for a second site is ready for submission but is on hold due to the pending Bettendorf application.
We encourage CMS to move as expeditiously as possible to approve the pending SAE application before September 27, 2024, to ensure that Iowa residents can benefit from the value PACE brings to their communities. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
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