Tag Archives: Older Americans Act

Older Americans Act expires Sept. 30 – will Congress act in time?

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About Liz Seegert

Liz Seegert (@lseegert), is AHCJ’s topic leader on aging. Her work has appeared in NextAvenue.com, Journal of Active Aging, Cancer Today, Kaiser Health News and other outlets. She is a senior fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University and co-produces the HealthCetera podcast.

Photo: Bodo Tasche via Flickr

The Older Americans Act (OAA) expires on Sept. 30, 2019, and there’s still no bill ready for either a House or Senate vote. Traditionally, this legislation receives wide bipartisan support, but legislators are still attempting to work out some differences between what the Trump administration wants and provisions Democrats and advocacy groups would like to add.

The Senate is at an impasse regarding funding authorization levels and the funding formula, including “hold harmless” provisions. The House Education and Labor Committee announced on Friday that their OAA bill will be introduced on Monday and the committee will mark it up and likely pass it on Wednesday. Continue reading →

What may happen to services for seniors during Trump administration?

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About Howard Gleckman

Howard Gleckman writes about aging for Forbes, is author of the book "Caring for Our Parents (St. Martin's Press) and is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. Formerly a senior correspondent in the Washington bureau of Business Week, he writes and speaks on aging issues, as well as economic and fiscal policy.

Photo: Wayne MacPhail via Flickr

Photo: Wayne MacPhail via Flickr

Senior services will likely be under severe pressure in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. While it is impossible to know now which program budgets will be cut – or by how much – services funded through the Older Americans Act (OAA) such as Meals on Wheels, adult day care, and information assistance could all be targeted.

Significant changes to the Affordable Care Act could affect how care is delivered through Medicare and Medicaid. Those programs also could face even bigger changes, since Trump and House Republicans say they want to restructure both. The changes may increase out-of-pocket Medicare costs for seniors and limit the federal contribution to Medicaid. Continue reading →

New tip sheet details updates to Older Americans Act

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About Liz Seegert

Liz Seegert (@lseegert), is AHCJ’s topic leader on aging. Her work has appeared in NextAvenue.com, Journal of Active Aging, Cancer Today, Kaiser Health News and other outlets. She is a senior fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University and co-produces the HealthCetera podcast.

Photo: Steven Pisano via Flickr

Photo: Steven Pisano via Flickr

May is Older Americans Month. It’s a perfect time to focus on programs and services funded through the Older Americans Act (OAA).

This legislation originally was part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” initiative in 1965. It authorizes a wide array of services and programs provided through a national network of 56 state agencies on aging, 629 area agencies on aging, nearly 20,000 service providers, 244 tribal organizations, and two native Hawaiian organizations representing 400 tribes, according to the Administration on Aging. Importantly, many of the OAA’s provisions aim to allow seniors to age with dignity and independence. Continue reading →