The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) is a coalition of national nonprofit organizations concerned with the well-being of America’s older population and committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena. Many of the federal programs under the jurisdiction of your Appropriations Subcommittees are critical to helping millions of older adults and family caregivers age with dignity, health, and independence in their homes and communities. This is especially important at a time when aging at home remains the safest option for older adults, who are at greatest risk for negative health outcomes associated with COVID-19.
Issue Area: Community Services
LCAO Chair’s Letter Supporting ACCESS Act
On behalf of the 69 members of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), I am writing to reaffirm our support for the Advancing Connectivity during the Coronavirus to Ensure Support for Seniors (ACCESS) Act (S. 57/H.R. 596). LCAO focuses on the well-being of America’s older population and is committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena.
President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Builds a Stronger Foundation for Older Americans
WASHINGTON, DC – The nation’s pre-eminent coalition representing older Americans applauds President Biden’s American Jobs Plan as a bold step in the right direction for all of us as we age. The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) urges Congress to enact the President’s plan, so that older Americans will feel the benefits across many areas of their lives — from housing to health to caregiving. Most significantly, the plan will provide home and community-based services (HCBS) for older people who otherwise would have to wait as many as five years to get the services they need.
“The American Jobs Plan is not just about aging infrastructure, but the ‘infrastructure of aging.’ Our nation’s capacity to take care of one of our most under-resourced populations has not kept pace with the growing number of older Americans. The President’s plan is a welcome recognition that any re-imagining of the economy must include a serious commitment to older adults’ needs, which have been laid bare by the COVID pandemic.” – Max Richtman, LCAO Chair and President & CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
LCAO has identified key portions of the American Jobs Plan that would directly benefit older people:
- $400 billion (or 20% of the funding in this plan) to improve HCBS for older adults and people with disabilities, including expanding access to Medicaid HCBS, extending the Medicaid HCBS “Money Follows the Person” program, and providing direct care workers with higher wages and the ability to bargain collectively.
- Improving housing security. LCAO will urge President Biden and the Congress to ensure that housing for older adults, including the section 202 program, are part of this effort.
- Support for the improvement of high-speed broadband infrastructure. LCAO wants to ensure that this proposal addresses improving telehealth capacity and economic opportunity.
- Support efforts to improve America’s transportation infrastructure. LCAO will call for improvements in public transportation for older adults, including the enhancement of such services under the Older Americans Act.
As the President’s plan is taken up by Congress, LCAO will continue to urge lawmakers to ensure that the American Jobs Act addresses the transportation, housing, broadband access, and caregiving needs of older people. Just as the President’s American Jobs Plan will rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, it must build a better foundation for society as a whole by fortifying services for all of us as we age.
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The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations has been the country’s pre-eminent coalition representing older Americans since 1980. Composed of 69 national nonprofit organization members, LCAO focuses on the well-being of America’s older population and is committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena.
Media Inquiries to:
Pamela Causey 202-216-8378
Walter Gottlieb 202-276-9089
Letter Supporting Reestablishing the House Select Committee of Aging
On behalf of the 69 members of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), I am writing to express our strong support for reestablishing the House Select Committee on Aging (HSCoA) as proposed in your measure, H. Res. 821. LCAO focuses on the well-being of America’s older population and is committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena.
Letter Supporting Reestablishing the House Select Committee of Aging
LCAO Statement on the Continued Hate Crimes Against AAPI Older Adults
The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) – a coalition representing 69 national organizations working to preserve and strengthen the well-being of older Americans – condemns hate crimes and acts of violence, racism, and ageism targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) older adults. LCAO stands with the AAPI community and urges immediate action to ensure both clear and accessible means of reporting these attacks and systemic solutions aimed at confronting anti-AAPI bias.
LCAO Letter on the TRUST Act
LCAO is deeply concerned about efforts to include provisions of S.4323, the Time to Rescue the United States Trusts Act of 2020 (TRUST Act), from the last Congress in the COVID relief reconciliation package. The TRUST Act would create “rescue committees” to draft fast-track legislation to address the solvency of federal trust funds, including the Social Security and Medicare funds. The TRUST Act does not provide solutions for reaching solvency-or protecting benefits-rather, it would expose these vital programs to whatever across-the-board cuts the “rescue committees” may propose without amendment. This is nothing more than a backdoor means to make benefit cuts that would not be possible through the normal legislative process.
LCAO Chair Letter to Hill on COVID Relief
* This is the Senate letter. A copy of the letter was also sent to the House of Representatives.
On behalf of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), I am writing to urge you to prioritize the health, community-based services and supports, and economic security needs of older adults as you move forward with budget reconciliation and efforts to address the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
LCAO Priorities for President-Elect Biden
LCAO deeply appreciates and concurs wholeheartedly with the incoming administration’s commitment to advancing equity and justice for all people. We are heartened to read the many platforms promoting equity and justice not only for older adults and people with disabilities, but also for multiple racial and ethnic communities and for Tribal Nations, residents of U.S. territories and commonwealths, immigrants, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), LGBTQ+ individuals and families, women, religious communities, and rural communities.
Transition Letter to President-Elect Biden
The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) congratulates you on your election to the Presidency.
Since 1980, LCAO has been the country’s preeminent coalition representing older Americans. Composed of 69 national nonprofit organization members, LCAO focuses on the well-being of America’s older population and is committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena. LCAO serves as a source of information about issues affecting older persons and provides leadership and vision as America meets the challenges and opportunities presented by its aging society.
Principles for Long-Term Services and Supports
As Americans live longer, healthier lives, all of us will likely need long-term services and supports (LTSS) at some point in our lives or will know someone who does. A strong and flexible LTSS system benefits us all at every age, whether we or our loved ones are facing temporary or chronic illness or disability. For too long, the federal government has ignored the urgent need to address in a bipartisan, fiscally responsible manner the emerging LTSS crisis facing older adults and family caregivers.