by Marci Phillips NCOA Public Policy and Advocacy
As the partial government shutdown extends and becomes the longest one on record, we continue to monitor the effects on benefits and services that older adults rely on.
Only 5 of the 12 FY19 appropriations bills have been enacted into law. Those 5 bills provide 75% of federal government funding, and many aging services programs are included. FY19 funding is secure for Older Americans Act (OAA) and Elder Justice Act (EJA) programs, Senior Corps, the Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
However, several other programs have not been funded. These include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), low-income housing assistance, senior transportation programs, and elder justice and consumer protection initiatives administered by the Justice and Treasury Departments. To date, there have not been any reductions in these services for older adults. But if the shutdown continues, harmful effects will begin to emerge in February and March.
Also caught up in the FY19 funding debate are continuing efforts to extend expired Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) programs that allow older adults to remain in their own homes longer. These include the Money Follows the Person (MFP) and Spousal Impoverishment protection programs. On Jan. 8, with leadership from new Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the House passed the Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019 (H.R. 259), which provides 3-month extensions for these programs. We are hopeful the Senate will pass the bill by unanimous consent soon.
What’s ahead for FY20
Traditionally, the annual appropriations debate kicks off with the release of the President’s budget request in early February. Due to the shutdown, we believe this will be delayed and the Congressional debate will be postponed until all FY19 funding is enacted.
An important element for FY20 will be the need for another 2-year deal to raise the caps on discretionary spending. Congress has done this in increments over the past few years, and this year they are facing a 9% cut (from $597 to $543 billion) in non-defense discretionary spending and an 11% cut (from $647 to $576 billion) for defense spending if the caps are not raised.
For FY20, NCOA will continue to focus on funding for a range of aging services, calling particular attention to protecting and increasing investments in falls prevention, Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME), SHIPs, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
Due later this year are renewals of key statutes impacting older adults.
The first is renewal of authority under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) to provide targeted funding for SHIPs, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), and the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE) to find and enroll eligible low-income older adults into benefits programs. The current authority expires Oct. 1. NCOA is advocating to make this initiative permanent to eliminate the need for regular renewal.
Also up for renewal is the Older Americans Act. Reauthorization provides an opportunity to update and modernize the OAA to better serve the rapidly growing older population and strengthen the ability of the aging services network to address their needs. We are focused on strengthening research, demonstration, and evaluation activities through the creation of a new Innovation Center; protecting investments in falls prevention, CDSME, and SCSEP; enhancing efforts to coordinate and promote federal resources for home modifications; building upon senior center modernization secured in the last reauthorization; and enhancing the measurement of economic security of older adults.
As these debates ramp up, the NCOA Public Policy and Advocacy team will provide additional details about these proposals and how you can help ensure benefits and services for older adults are protected and strengthened in this Congressional session.
