First, I want to thank the Chairman and the Ranking Member and the Committee staff for facilitating an authorized field hearing that we had in Maine last Friday on--it was fabulous--on long-term care.

I would urge you to take a serious look at that. And we have had testimony at this Committee that this is one of the suicide factors.

So on a dollar to a nursing home, the State of Maine puts up roughly 40 percent, the feds 60?

People have told me that too so----

My concern about that--and we'll talk to others about it--this is a rule that the--CMS is the federal agency, it's the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

What can we do to expand and support home health services which I think everybody, including veterans, would prefer and really ramp that up.

By the way, I got a great piece of advice. Someone asked Buckminster Fuller, the famous architect, for advice on how to live a long life. His answer was 'always use the bannister.'

I think that's something we have to figure out how to waive or something.

I urge this committee to focus on the impact that Medicare and Medicaid payment policy is having on veterans' access to post-acute care services.

As the population ages.

People have told me that too so----

Stabilize the workforce. This is directly tied to increased reimbursements, as you've heard, which need to be tied to inflation.

Will that access information include information about VA availabilities?

Everything we talked about still comes back to workforce, doesn't it? Home-based care, respite care. It's all having the people.

I like the idea. In other words, additional federal funds not generally but targeted toward workforce retention?

I'm so grateful for your office, Senator King.

The truth is, the work just begins when the bill passes.

So awareness is a big part of the issue?

TAP is the Transition Assistance Program?

We need a sustainable system of care. And if we want that sustainable system of care, we have to fund it.

Well, it seems to me that's an area that we should be talking about in Washington.

I've told my staff I want to be the falls senator; without falling.

For the record, I totally agree with that statement.

We want to keep that permanent.

The good is we have a historically low unemployment rate, but that creates the question of the migratory workforce.