From DC is Justice in Aging’s weekly roundup of national news and resources about issues impacting older adults. To receive From DC in your inbox as soon as its published, sign up for our mailing list.
Here’s what we’re watching in Washington:
New Resources Show How Medicaid Work Requirements Endanger Health Care for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
The budget reconciliation bill (H.R. 1) advancing through the Senate includes the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. One particularly dangerous cut is new work requirements for most Medicaid expansion enrollees aged 19–64. The red tape is designed to take Medicaid coverage from over 5 million people. The exemptions alleged to protect disabled individuals fall woefully short. As this new blog from Justice in Aging and the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) highlights, forcing people with disabilities to continually “prove” their disability is an insurmountable feat that will lead to coverage losses.
A new UMass Boston analysis projects roughly 1.8 million older adults aged 50–64 would lose Medicaid coverage solely because of work requirements. Compounding the issue, as new research from the Urban Institute shows, is the fact that more than half of Medicaid expansion enrollees with unstable employment live with an older adult age 65 or older, a child under 18, or a disabled family member—highlighting how caregiving responsibilities limit work capability. Those individuals with unstable employment also experience higher rates of chronic conditions or disability compared to Medicaid expansion enrollees with stable employment.
Check out Justice in Aging’s Medicaid Defense resources, and join us for a webinar on Tuesday, June 17th to learn more about how the cuts to Medicaid and Medicare in H.R. 1 would harm older adults and how to take action.
HUD to Propose Time Limits, Work Requirements for Housing Assistance
Recent reporting indicates that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is planning a proposed rule to impose time limits and work requirements in HUD’s rental assistance programs. This news follows the release of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for Congress, which includes a proposal to implement two-year time limits for “non-elderly, non-disabled residents” receiving HUD rental assistance.
Regardless of any exemptions, time limits and work requirements would take away housing assistance from older adults and people with disabilities. Justice in Aging is urging Congress to reject the President’s request for time limits and will continue to monitor developments in HUD rulemaking.
Learn more about the importance of federal rental assistance for older adults.
New Justice in Aging Resources
- Article: Clearer Choices: Why Medicare Advantage Enrollees Need Better Information On Supplemental Benefits (6/13)
- Blog: No Exceptions: Examples Showing the Failings of Medicaid Work Requirement Exemptions for People with Disabilities (6/12)
- Blog: Aggressive Immigration Policies Hurt Older Adults (5/29)
- Article: Federal Housing Protections for People with Disabilities (5/29)
- Statement: House Passes Bill that Would Rip Medicaid from Millions of Older Adults (5/22)
- Statement: The Center for Medicare Advocacy, Justice in Aging, and Medicare Rights Center Urge the Senate to Reject Harmful Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare (5/22)
- Comment Letter: Justice in Aging’s Comments on Proposed New “Schedule P/C” Classification for Civil Servants (5/22)
- Article: Older Adults Without Family Caregivers Need Better Access to Medicaid Support Services (5/22)
- Blog: Don’t Believe Them! The Proposed Reconciliation Bill Directly Harms Older Adults & People with Disabilities on Medicare (5/21)
- Blog: Broken Promises: Republicans’ Budget Reconciliation Bill Would Cut Medicare (5/21)
- Fact Sheet: A Lifeline for Californians: The Importance of Protecting and Expanding Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Services (5/20)
- Special Report: IMPACT Committee Report: Master Plan for Aging’s Year 4 In Review (5/19)
- Comment Letter: Justice in Aging’s Statement for the Record on Medicaid Provisions in House Energy & Commerce Committee Markup of FY25 Budget Reconciliation Legislation (5/16)
- Statement: Governor’s May Revision Would Strip Coverage from Tens of Thousands of Older Californians (5/14)
- Comment Letter: Statement on the Record for Hearing on Preparing for Disasters: Unique Challenges Facing Older Americans (5/14)
Justice in Aging Webinars
- Protecting Medicaid from Cuts in Congress: Updates for Aging Advocates (6/17)
- Issues Facing LGBTQ+ Older Adults in 2025 and Beyond (6/25)
