- President Biden is set to deliver a major address tomorrow on the next phase of his pandemic response. While officials are still finalizing specifics, the speech is expected to touch on schools, private companies, and requirements for federal employees. Climbing COVID-19 case numbers – and particularly the increasing proportion of cases reported in children – are causing many health experts to worry about the outlook as the school year gets underway across the entire country. (Articles here, here, and here)
- The House Ways and Means Committee released several bills it hopes to include in the $3.5 trillion budget bill. The bills would add dental, hearing, and vision coverage to Medicare; help recruit and retain long-term care workers; and bolster a grant program that provides training to low-income individuals looking to enter the health care workforce. The competitive grant program, which currently funds 32 organizations in 21 states at $85 million per year, would be funded at $425 million per year and expanded to all 50 states. The committee will markup the proposals Thursday and Friday. (Article here; Press release here)