NCOA

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Happy Birthday, Older Americans Act!

July 14, 2010 in aging, policy, seniors, take action, wellness by SarahMashburn | 1 comment

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA). You may not have heard of this legislation, but I don’t doubt that you’ve seen its impact on the lives of older adults.

Take Meals on Wheels. Or, the bus that takes your older aunt to her doctor’s appointments. There’s also the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which supports state and local programs to offer caregivers respite and supplemental services. These are just of the programs and services that are available thanks to the OAA.

Another thing you should know about the OAA is that the program’s reauthorized every 5 years. That gives policy makers and the public the opportunity to investigate how the OAA programs can be expanded and enhance to meet future needs. The reauthorization process is going on right now, and it’s time to share what you think needs to be added or improved in the OAA.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is hosting a national “idea exchange” focused on the OAA and what can make it better. On the exchange, you can share ideas big and small, comment on others’ thoughts and vote for what you think are the best opportunities to expand this legislation’s impact.

Look for a blog post later from AAHSA’s Morgan Gable highlighting some of our ideas.

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NCOA Honors AAHSA President Larry Minnix

March 19, 2010 in advocacy, financing long term care, making a difference, reform, seniors by Leslie Knight | 1 comment

Source: N.Y. Times

Source: N.Y. Times

This past St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish weren’t the only ones celebrating in Chicago. People in the aging services field were celebrating the advancement of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act of 2009 and what it means to older adults.

The National Council of Aging (NCOA) presented The Claude Pepper Award for Excellence in Community-Based Long Term Care to AAHSA President Larry Minnix for his leadership in championing the Class Act.

Fellow champions of CLASS Marty Ford, chair, Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, and Connie Garner, a policy director to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), were also recognized by NCOA.

Presenting the award, Msgr. Charles Fahey, chair of NCOA and a past chair of AAHSA, talked about Larry’s unwavering commitment to bringing 157 aging and disability organizations together. Fahey noted that it was the first time that these two special interest groups had closely collaborated.

It was very exciting to be surrounded by folks cheering about the Class Act and its potential benefits for the aging and disabled.

Claude Pepper, universally recognized as the voice of senior citizens throughout his five decades of service in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, was a true champion for the elderly. So, it was with great pride that I witnessed Larry Minnix, another true champion for older adults, be presented this well-deserved award.

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The Word is Getting Out on CLASS

December 15, 2009 in Medicare, advocacy, aging, health care, long-term care, medicaid, policy, politics, seniors by LaurenShaham | No comments

Kudos to the Diane Rehm Show on WAMU for focusing a full hour on the creation of a national long-term care insurance program.  After months of struggling to get the attention of the press on what the creation of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) plan will mean for Americans, it is so rewarding to hear Diane Rehm taking on this issue.  Her show is often the barometer for an issue’s relevancy in opinion leaders’ and the public’s minds.

Additional kudos go to Jim Firman of the National Council on Aging, who appeared on the show.  He directly challenged Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Actuary Rick Foster on the assumptions Foster used in his analysis of the potential take-up rate for CLASS. Firman also had a letter to the editor published in today’s Washington Post.

Trying to estimate how many people will opt-out of the program is the core question for predicting whether CLASS can be solvent.  The Congressional Budget Office, Congress’s official scorekeeper, estimates a much higher take-up rate than Foster does.

We continue to work with our partners to educate the press, Congress and the public about the CLASS provisions and what they will mean for individuals, families and caregivers.

Stay tuned for more media reports as we get the word out.

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