Proposed cuts to aging programs at federal level cause concern
By Najja R. Orr, DBA, FCPP, PCA President & CEO
Last month, we told you about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) restructuring. This change caused the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to be broken apart. ACL is the federal agency at HHS that administers the Older Americans Act (OAA). Various aging services programs under ACL would be split up and moved to other HHS agencies.
Since then, a draft copy of the President’s fiscal year 2026 budget for HHS was leaked. The leaked draft budget separates OAA programs into multiple HHS agencies. It also proposes elimination of funding in fiscal year 2026 for several critical programs. These programs include:
- Evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs.
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs.
- State Health Insurance Assistance Programs.
- Aging and Disability Resource Centers.
- Elder justice programs.
Since the leak, President Trump released his “skinny” budget to Congress. It did not contain additional details. This lack of information has caused concern among advocates. It may mean that proposed cuts and changes to aging programs are still being considered.
The full budget has not been released yet. Funding levels also need to be approved by Congress. Cuts to OAA-funded services would have wide-ranging impacts on older adults nationwide.
Additionally, congress is considering more than $700 billion in Medicaid cuts and $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in their reconciliation bill.
These cuts would be devastating. More than 10 million people will likely lose Medicaid coverage. More than seven million people will be uninsured. This will put older adults and people with disabilities at risk of losing coverage for critical home- and community-based services.
PCA will continue to monitor changes at the federal level. We’re closely watching the possible effects on older adults and adults with disabilities. We will keep advocating for programs and services that support the people we serve.
For the latest news about changes to services for older adults, visit www.pcaCares.org/news.
