Introduction
As the population of older adults in the United States grows, so will the challenges associated with ensuring older adults can access healthcare services. Policymakers and stakeholders must work together to ensure the nation’s healthcare service delivery system supports the evolving and complex needs of older adults and promotes healthy aging.
Healthcare for older adults has historically been delivered through a complex web of services, overseen at the federal level primarily by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) (Figure 1). Recent federal changes – including the reorganization of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proposed Medicaid financing reforms, and the end of the current authorization period for the Older Americans Act (OAA) – have broad implications for how services for older adults will be funded and administered.1,2 These changes and policy developments create uncertainty about potential effects on healthcare services for older adults. Given how vital government-funded healthcare services are to meet the needs of older adults, it is important that policymakers and other stakeholders remain informed as funding and operational changes occur. While policy changes are still unfolding, there are important considerations for ensuring continuity of services for older adults during the transition. For example, if done thoughtfully, reorganizing HHS’ administration of services to older adults could enhance coordination across federal, state, and local governments and reduce service fragmentation. However, if potential risks are not fully considered, the reorganization could lead to interruptions in the delivery of services to older adults.
This issue brief aims to provide an overview of the current “status quo” of federally funded healthcare services for older adults, including a description of the current programs and who administers them. This review can support policymakers in understanding how to minimize gaps or disruptions in care during this time of change and restructuring.
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