Public Policy & Action

• Federal Funding for Seniors Programs
• Older Americans Act
• Long-Term Services & Supports
• Health Care Reform
• Our Positions
• Advocacy Toolkit

Resources

For Professionals

• 5 Key Facts Must Inform the Medicare Reform Debate
• SCSEP Targeted in Workforce Investment Act Proposal
• Senators to Voice their Support for OAA Reauthorization at Capitol Hill Briefing
• Missing from the Presidential Debate: Long-Term Care
• Long-Term Services & Supports: Candidate Survey
• State Advocate Experiences and Engagement in Duals Integration
• Prescription for Life: Building Community Partnerships to Promote Physical Activity and Social Engagement for Older Adults

For Older Adults and Caregivers

• Long-Term Services & Supports: Candidate Survey
• Benefits Access: Fact Sheet

For Advocates

• 5 Key Facts Must Inform the Medicare Reform Debate
• SCSEP Targeted in Workforce Investment Act Proposal
• Preventing Funding Cuts for Healthy Aging Programs: What You Can Do to Help

Health Care Reform

The health reform debate was long, contentious, and confusing to many.

We fought hard for legislation that improves care for older adults, protects and strengthens Medicare, significantly reduces the number of uninsured Americans, and makes important delivery system reforms to reduce costs and improve quality—all in a fiscally responsible manner.

Legal Challenges

In 2012, NCOA joined with other national aging, health care, and consumer organiations in filing friend of the court briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court in cases challenging the Affordable Care Act.

NCOA joined the National Health Law Program and 38 health care and consumer organizations in filing a friend of the court brief supporting the Affordable Care Act’s changes to Medicaid. The ACA expands Medicaid to cover eligible persons under age 65 with income up to 133% of the federal poverty level. The brief says this is consistent with Medicaid’s purpose and history to provide health coverage for an additional 16 million individuals.

NCOA also signed onto a friend of the court brief with six national aging organizations in the case that challenges the constitutionality of the law's individual mandate. In the brief, the groups argue that the ACA provisions affecting those over age 65 should not be affected if the individual mandate provision is found unconstitutional.

Straight Talk for Seniors™

In 2010, we launched Straight Talk for Seniors™, a national campaign featuring town hall and educational events, educational materials, an interactive online quiz for people to test their knowledge of the new health reform law, a national poll, and webinars to prepare aging services professionals to educate older adults about the law.

• Get Straight Talk for Seniors™ campaign materials

The Role of the Aging Network

We're also leading the way in examining the role the aging network can play in implementing health reform. In the Summer 2010 issue of our publication Innovations, guest authors discuss how aging services providers can play a critical role in provisions on chronic care, long-term services and supports, Medicare education, and more.

• Read Innovations

Learn More

• Elder Justice provisions in health reform
• Summary of New Health Reform Law by the Kaiser Family Foundation
• Health Reform Implementation Timeline by the Kaiser Family Foundation
• Explanation of Part D Coverage Gap Provision by the Kaiser Family Foundation 
• How Health Reform Will Contain Costs by Third Way   

want to live in a country where

older adults don't have to choose between paying for medicine or food.