ACL Releases National Plan on Aging Strategic Framework

• By: USAging
• On: 05/30/2024 14:29:53
• In: Policy & Advocacy

Yesterday, ACL released a new report, Aging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging, through its Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities (ICC). The report provides a framework for collaboration among entities at the federal, state and local levels, and the public and private sector, to inform a future national set of aging policy recommendations.  

The report highlights four core domains: Age-Friendly Communities, Coordinated Housing and Supportive Services, Increased Access to Long-Term Services and Supports and Aligned Health Care and Supportive Services. Each domain covers numerous focus areas, including social connection, transportation, elder justice and many more. The report also details how the federal government is working towards fulfilling these goals and features states that are implementing their own multisector plans on aging.   
 
In the coming months, the ICC will engage with stakeholders across the nation for feedback on the Strategic Framework and a national plan on aging. ACL will host a public webinar providing an overview of the report on June 10 at 2:00 PM ET; you can register by clicking here.  

AAA Directors Testify at Successful Senate OAA Hearing

• By: USAging
• On: 05/24/2024 09:37:55
• In: Policy & Advocacy

Yesterday, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on the 2024 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act featuring two AAA directors from USAging member agencies. Laura Holscher, Executive Director/Assistant Vice President for Generations Area 13 AAA in Vincennes, IN, and Leslie Grenfell, Executive Director for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging in Charleroi, PA, testified before Congress. They eloquently discussed the realities of implementing the OAA at the local level, while weaving in the major priorities of USAging in their testimony and under questioning from the Senators who sit on the committee. You can watch the hearing here and read testimonies from our featured AAA directors. It’s a great watch because not only were Laura and Leslie fantastic witnesses, but the other witnesses and several Senators praised the work of AAAs!  

There were several references to our reauthorization recommendations, thanks to months of advocacy by USAging and our members, with Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) supporting Aging Network innovation and prioritizing increased funding for OAA, and Ranking Member Mike Braun (R-IN) expressing the need for AAA independence in contracting and commercial relationships. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) inquired about nutrition flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. This allowed the AAA witnesses to emphasize the importance of nutrition flexibility, noting USAging’s proposal with Meals on Wheels America to unify the Title III C nutrition program under one funding stream.  

Finally, the AAA directors reinforced other USAging reauthorization priorities throughout the hearing, including codifying a social engagement resource center in the OAA, allowing evidence-informed programs in Title III D and more. The other witnesses—the CT Long-Term Care Ombudsman and an OAA consumer from Pennsylvania served by the Clearfield County AAA in PA—were also excellent and helped round out the perspectives on the incredible human impact that OAA’s many programs and services have in communities around the country.  

USAging Members to Testify at Senate Aging OAA Hearing

• By: USAging
• On: 05/17/2024 10:49:48
• In: Policy & Advocacy

Next Thursday, May 23, the Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold the long-awaited hearing titled, “The Older Americans Act: The Local Impact of the Law and the Upcoming Reauthorization.” Of the four selected witnesses, two are AAA Directors—Laura Holscher of the Indiana Generations/Area 13 Agency on Aging and Leslie Grenfell of the Southwestern Pennsylvania AAA. Both AAA directors represent the states of the Senate Aging Committee’s leaders: Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) and Ranking Member Mike Braun (R-IN).  

Tune into the livestream next Thursday at 9:30 AM ET and join us in cheering on your peers! Have you contacted Congress yet about USAging’s OAA reauthorization priorities? Take action today!  

Check Out Our Legislative Update on the CMS Final Medicaid HCBS Access Rule

• By: USAging
• On: 05/17/2024 10:44:58
• In: Policy & Advocacy

This week, USAging published a Legislative Update covering the details of the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule. The historic regulation includes new requirements, effective July 9, related to the direct care workforce and access to home and community-based services. Major provisions in the final rule include CMS requiring at least 80 percent of all Medicaid payments for specific types of HCBS be spent on compensation for direct care workers, states reporting annually on the percentage of payments spent on that compensation and states reporting on HCBS waiting lists. 

ACL will continue working with CMS to ensure the Aging Network is involved in discussions; to stay up to date with all resources and stakeholder calls, visit Access to Care | Medicaid.

HHS Finalizes Nondiscrimination Rules Addressing Disability Access and Health Care

• By: USAging
• On: 05/09/2024 11:15:04
• In: Policy & Advocacy

This week, the HHS’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published two final rules intended to strengthen nondiscrimination protections for people living with disabilities and advance equity in health care, respectively.  

OCR's Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance rule marks the first major update Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and sets forth disability nondiscrimination requirements that all recipients of HHS funding must adhere to. Last fall, USAging provided feedback, overall applauding OCR for their efforts to prevent discrimination against individuals living with disabilities. A major provision that will impact AAAs is the new website, mobile app and kiosk accessibility requirements that will take effect in 2026 or 2027 depending on the agency size. 

OCR also released the Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities final rule, intended to strengthen nondiscrimination protections in health care through Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. This rule applies to all HHS-administered programs, which likely includes Older Americans Act programs. In 2022, USAging submitted a response to the proposed rule providing feedback on the proposed changes.  

Important provisions in the final rule include reinstating Section 1557’s application to all HHS-administered health programs and activities and health insurance issuers that receive federal financial assistance, protecting LGBTQI+ patients from discrimination and affirming protections against sex discrimination consistent with caselaw.   

USAging will share full Legislative Updates on these rules in the coming days, but if you have any questions, please contact the policy team at policy@usaging.org.

CMS Finalizes Medicaid HCBS Access Rule

• By: USAging
• On: 05/03/2024 10:11:56
• In: Policy & Advocacy

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule. This historic regulation includes new requirements, effective July 9, related to the direct care workforce and access to home and community-based services.   

Last summer, USAging submitted a response to the proposed rule, overall applauding CMS for their efforts on improving access to Medicaid HCBS and providing feedback on proposed changes. Major provisions in the final rule include CMS requiring at least 80 percent of all Medicaid payments for specific types of HCBS be spent on compensation for direct care workers, states reporting annually on the percentage of payments spent on that compensation, and states reporting on HCBS waiting lists.  

Because the Access Rule requires states to make significant changes to their Medicaid programs, CMS is giving them up to six years to implement the new provisions. ACL will continue working with CMS to ensure the Aging Network is involved in discussions; to stay up to date with all resources and stakeholder calls, visit Access to Care | Medicaid. 

USAging will share a full Legislative Update on this rule in the next week, but if you have any questions, please contact the policy team at policy@usaging.org.