Summary:
The Older Americans Act (OAA), enacted in 1965, provides critical community-based social services to older adults, including nutrition, transportation, caregiver support, and chronic disease prevention. Administered by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), these programs face uncertainty due to the Trump administration’s restructuring of HHS, including the dissolution of ACL and significant staffing reductions. This article explores the implications of these changes, the scope of OAA programs, and their impact on millions of older Americans.
What This Means for You:
- Potential Service Disruptions: Older adults relying on OAA programs may experience delays or reductions in services due to administrative changes and staffing cuts.
- Advocate for Funding: Contact your representatives to ensure continued funding and support for OAA programs, which are vital for older adults’ independence and well-being.
- Explore Local Resources: Connect with local Area Agencies on Aging to access available services and stay informed about potential changes.
- Future Outlook: Monitor legislative developments, as the OAA’s reauthorization and funding levels remain uncertain amid ongoing political debates.
Original Post:
Since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, the federal government has played a central role in providing support to older adults and people with low incomes, with health insurance coverage under Medicare for those 65 and older and Medicaid for those with low incomes, including older adults. The Older Americans Act, enacted that same year, is perhaps lesser known than Medicare and Medicaid but also provides important support for older adults through a broad range of community-based social services programs, including home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation services, caregiver support, chronic disease prevention services, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. These programs and services may face some disruption, however, in light of the Trump administration’s organizational changes and staffing reductions at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which houses the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the agency that has administered the programs and services authorized by the Older Americans Act.
According to a recent HHS press release, ACL is releasing over $1 billion of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 funding for Older Americans Act programs to state, local, and Tribal grant recipients – funds that had already been appropriated by Congress but withheld by the Trump administration. At the same time, the Trump administration recently announced a restructuring within HHS, including budget cuts for several divisions and layoffs of 10,000 employees, with the stated goal of saving money and reducing inefficiencies. As part of this effort, the President’s proposed HHS FY 2026 budget outlines the Trump administration’s plans to dissolve ACL and integrate its functions within a newly established Administration for Children, Families, and Communities (ACFC).
The reorganization and staffing reductions at HHS create some uncertainty about the potential effect on older adults that could result from dissolving the agency at the center of administering programs and services authorized under the Older Americans Act. While the Trump administration generally can make organizational changes of this nature at federal agencies, Congress typically has the final say in determining agency funding levels and appropriating funds. The most recent reauthorization of the Older Americans Act in 2020 appropriated funds through FY 2024, with funding for FY 2025 provided through continuing resolutions at FY 2024 levels.
With the changes to ACL and other restructuring at HHS as context, this brief provides an overview of programs and services provided under the Older Americans Act, the role that was played by ACL in administering Older Americans Act programs, and trends in Older Americans Act program funding and service utilization by older adults.
What programs and services are provided under the Older Americans Act?
The Older Americans Act was signed into law in 1965 with the goal of providing older adults with home and community-based social services to support independent living as long as possible. Unlike Medicaid, the Older Americans Act does not have explicit income criteria used to determine who can qualify to receive services funded under the Act. Instead, the law aims to support people age 60 and older with the greatest economic or social need, including older adults with limited English proficiency and older individuals at risk for institutional placement.
The Older Americans Act authorizes grants from the federal government to states to provide community social services to older adults and established the Administration on Aging, an office within ACL, to administer these grant programs. The scope of Older Americans Act programs has been expanded over time and now includes home-delivered and congregate nutrition services
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