From DC: The Fight to Protect Medicaid & Medicare, HUD LGBTQ+ Housing Protections, and More

July 31, 2026

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:

The Fight to Protect Medicaid, Medicare, and Community Living Continues

July marks the anniversaries of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law. July also marks one year since H.R. 1 was passed, enacting the biggest cuts to Medicaid in its 60-year history and stripping Medicare and Medicaid coverage from lawfully present immigrants.

Congress ignored constituents’ warnings about the harm this bill will cause. With cuts to Medicaid programs now a reality, the Trump Administration has taken drastic actions that further jeopardize the services that enable older adults and people with disabilities to live at home and connected to their communities.

These actions include casting sweeping suspicion on home-based care spending, attacking immigrant communities, and falsely asserting that the ADA does not guarantee people with disabilities the right to live and receive services in integrated community settings.

Justice in Aging is recommitting to protecting and strengthening Medicaid, Medicare, and the rights of older adults and people with disabilities. Use our Health Care Defense resources to join us.

Lawmakers Urge HUD to Abandon Proposal to Roll Back LGBTQ+ Protections

This week, a group of more than 100 House Democrats sent a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) urging the agency to withdraw its plans to roll back housing protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.

HUD issued a proposed rule earlier this year to weaken its Equal Access Rule, which ensures equal access to HUD programs regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. If implemented, HUD’s proposal would require HUD-funded shelters to discriminate against transgender people and reduce access to housing for LGBTQ+ communities.

Justice in Aging submitted comments opposing HUD’s proposed rule and highlighting how it would harm LGBTQ+ older adults and people with disabilities. Read our comments, and see Justice in Aging’s issue brief about the need to strengthen protections and programs for LGBTQ+ older adults.

Report Shows Many Older Adults Struggle to Meet Basic Needs

A new report from the Urban Institute shows that more than one in three (36.6%) of older adults age 60+ had trouble last year meeting their basic needs for food, housing, or health care.

Older adults with low-incomes, those who are Black or Hispanic, those with a disability, or those in fair or poor health experienced the highest rates of hardship, with more than half of these older adults reporting problems such as difficulty affording rent or health care. Nearly half of low-income older adults relied on Medicaid, housing assistance, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to help them avoid material hardship.

For more information about the importance of these and other safety net programs, read Justice in Aging’s issue brief on supporting older adults’ basic needs.