December 19, 2024 Advocacy Alert

OAA Reauthorization At Risk–TAKE ACTION TODAY!
December 19, 2024
Snapshot
(A 30-second read for busy people)
- OAA reauthorization and continued MIPPA funding could fall out of the must-pass spending bill this week!
- Action Needed: Call or email your Representatives as soon as possible TODAY! Use our template below.
The Good News
Earlier this week, the House unveiled an end-of-year spending package that extends federal funding under a Continuing Resolution (CR) until mid-March. The CR includes USAging’s top priority, the Older Americans Act (OAA) reauthorization, and a two-year extension of funding under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) for AAAs, SHIPs and ADRCs to do outreach and enrollment on the Medicare savings programs. This is a common congressional practice, attaching other bills with broad support to the omnibus spending bill that must pass before a specific deadline. It’s how Congress gets many things done with little legislative time.
The Bad News
Following negotiations with House Democrats and the Senate, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) released the text of the omnibus bill yesterday. However, it came under fire from business leader Elon Musk as well as a select group of House Republicans opposed to certain provisions in the bill or the idea of passing the bill altogether.
The controversy has put OAA reauthorization and MIPPA funding at GRAVE RISK of not being passed this year. House Republicans are considering a “clean” CR and if passed, all other provisions that are not related to the CR would be dropped from the final bill. The 118th Congress would then adjourn, leaving those important programs, such as OAA, unauthorized and in the case of MIPPA, unfunded.
The House is expected to meet today to discuss a final CR and it is imperative that you reach out to your Representatives NOW to ask them to ensure that the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and the MIPPA funding remains in any final spending package! If we can’t keep our priorities in this bill, we have to start over from scratch in the next Congress, which will be a more difficult legislative climate.
Take Action Now
STEP 1: Email and call your Representatives urging them to ensure that OAA reauthorization and the MIPPA funding stay in any final bill the House passes this week! Use our email template below to get started and be sure to customize it to your agency/community. Contact their DC and district offices; email addresses and phone numbers can be found by clicking here. Please be sure to send an email and make a phone call to any House members whose constituents you serve!
Email Template to Your Representatives (or adapt for phone calls)
Note: Areas with yellow highlighting require customization.
Dear [Representative NAME]:
On behalf of [AGENCY NAME] in [AGENCY LOCATION AND STATE], we are writing to urge you to ensure that the bipartisan Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S.4776), which passed the Senate on December 10, and an important two-year authorization of funding that allows our agency to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries, stays in the House’s year-end omnibus bill.
The OAA reauthorization provisions are critically important to our agency and the older adults and family caregivers we serve in your district. We were very pleased that House leadership included this reauthorization bill in the bipartisan CR deal and urge you to ensure it stays in the package!
Additionally, the CR currently includes a two-year extension of a Medicare program (Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act) that allows our agency to conduct outreach to low-income Medicare beneficiaries to offer enrollment assistance for Medicare savings programs. Without this renewed authorization and funding, our agency would not be able to continue to help low-income older adults get the financial help they need and are entitled to, creating more financial strain for older adults who can least afford it.
I’d be happy to share how the OAA and the Medicare outreach program affects the older adults and family caregivers in your district and our agency’s role in providing critical programs and services to help older adults age well at home.
Please do whatever you can to ensure these two vital updates to the law remain in any final CR passed by the House!
Sincerely,
[NAME, affiliation, address, etc.]
STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to their Representatives. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of OAA and MIPPA in their community! Forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates. Your advocacy will help to ensure OAA is reauthorized before the new year!
---
If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact the USAging Policy Team, Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.
Earlier this week, the House unveiled an end-of-year spending package that extends federal funding under a Continuing Resolution (CR) until mid-March. The CR includes USAging’s top priority, the Older Americans Act (OAA) reauthorization, and a two-year extension of funding under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) for AAAs, SHIPs and ADRCs to do outreach and enrollment on the Medicare savings programs. This is a common congressional practice, attaching other bills with broad support to the omnibus spending bill that must pass before a specific deadline. It’s how Congress gets many things done with little legislative time.
The Bad News
Following negotiations with House Democrats and the Senate, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) released the text of the omnibus bill yesterday. However, it came under fire from business leader Elon Musk as well as a select group of House Republicans opposed to certain provisions in the bill or the idea of passing the bill altogether.
The controversy has put OAA reauthorization and MIPPA funding at GRAVE RISK of not being passed this year. House Republicans are considering a “clean” CR and if passed, all other provisions that are not related to the CR would be dropped from the final bill. The 118th Congress would then adjourn, leaving those important programs, such as OAA, unauthorized and in the case of MIPPA, unfunded.
The House is expected to meet today to discuss a final CR and it is imperative that you reach out to your Representatives NOW to ask them to ensure that the OAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and the MIPPA funding remains in any final spending package! If we can’t keep our priorities in this bill, we have to start over from scratch in the next Congress, which will be a more difficult legislative climate.
Take Action Now
STEP 1: Email and call your Representatives urging them to ensure that OAA reauthorization and the MIPPA funding stay in any final bill the House passes this week! Use our email template below to get started and be sure to customize it to your agency/community. Contact their DC and district offices; email addresses and phone numbers can be found by clicking here. Please be sure to send an email and make a phone call to any House members whose constituents you serve!
Email Template to Your Representatives (or adapt for phone calls)
Note: Areas with yellow highlighting require customization.
Dear [Representative NAME]:
On behalf of [AGENCY NAME] in [AGENCY LOCATION AND STATE], we are writing to urge you to ensure that the bipartisan Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S.4776), which passed the Senate on December 10, and an important two-year authorization of funding that allows our agency to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries, stays in the House’s year-end omnibus bill.
The OAA reauthorization provisions are critically important to our agency and the older adults and family caregivers we serve in your district. We were very pleased that House leadership included this reauthorization bill in the bipartisan CR deal and urge you to ensure it stays in the package!
Additionally, the CR currently includes a two-year extension of a Medicare program (Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act) that allows our agency to conduct outreach to low-income Medicare beneficiaries to offer enrollment assistance for Medicare savings programs. Without this renewed authorization and funding, our agency would not be able to continue to help low-income older adults get the financial help they need and are entitled to, creating more financial strain for older adults who can least afford it.
I’d be happy to share how the OAA and the Medicare outreach program affects the older adults and family caregivers in your district and our agency’s role in providing critical programs and services to help older adults age well at home.
Please do whatever you can to ensure these two vital updates to the law remain in any final CR passed by the House!
Sincerely,
[NAME, affiliation, address, etc.]
STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to their Representatives. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of OAA and MIPPA in their community! Forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates. Your advocacy will help to ensure OAA is reauthorized before the new year!
---
If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact the USAging Policy Team, Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.