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:
Senate Budget Hearing on Medicaid
On August 4, the Senate Budget Committee held a hearing called Medicaid: The Reality. The Budget Committee develops the concurrent budget resolution that serves as the framework for congressional spending and can become the basis for budget reconciliation legislation.
The hearing was led by new Budget Committee Chair Senator Johnson (R-WI), who used the hearing to draw attention to Medicaid spending and paint the program as allegedly rife with waste, fraud, and abuse. Ranking Member Senator Merkley (D-OR) defended Medicaid spending and used his opening remarks to provide examples of the benefits of Medicaid, including for long-term care. Several other Democratic Committee members spoke to the harmful cuts to Medicaid included in H.R. 1 and urged bipartisan support for strengthening Medicaid.
Justice in Aging submitted a statement for the record urging the Committee to reverse harmful cuts, invest in Medicaid, and strengthen services that support older adults’ access to critical health care and long-term services. While the potential for a third reconciliation bill is still uncertain, it is important to use opportunities to push back against harmful false narratives that undermine the Medicaid program.
For more resources, see Justice in Aging’s Health Care Defense page.
Justice in Aging Responds to Rules Implementing Medicaid Work Requirements
Justice in Aging submitted comments on the Interim Final Rule with Comment (IFC) regarding Medicaid community engagement requirements, which took effect on July 31, 2026. These new community engagement requirements (also known as work requirements) were enacted through H.R. 1, and states must implement them by January 1, 2027.
Justice in Aging raised serious concerns that the IFC adopts a more restrictive standard than the statute for determining when an individual should be exempt from work requirements due to health or disability. This narrow approach is especially harmful for older adults, many of whom leave the workforce because of health or functional challenges.
The IFC also narrows the exemption for caregivers, which will leave out caregivers such as neighbors, friends, and chosen family who provide essential support to older adults. More broadly, work requirements create substantial administrative hurdles for both Medicaid enrollees and states, which will lead to improper coverage terminations.
Although the federal comment period has closed, advocates can still work with partners and state officials to reduce the harm of work requirements. See Justice in Aging’s webinar on this topic and Medicaid work requirements toolkit for additional guidance and support.
Updates to HUD Homelessness Funding
A new federal court order has blocked the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from proceeding with harmful changes to HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program, which funds permanent supportive housing (PSH) for people experiencing homelessness. Earlier this summer, HUD released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which includes deep cuts to funding for PSH. At least 97,000 PSH residents – the vast majority of whom are older adults and people with disabilities – would be at risk of losing their housing under HUD’s FY26 CoC NOFO.
A group of states and nonprofits sued HUD, and last week the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island ruled that HUD’s issuance of its FY26 NOFO was unlawful. Yesterday, HUD appealed this decision to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Currently, however, HUD is still barred from implementing its NOFO while an appeal is pending.
Justice in Aging will continue monitoring this case and other threats to PSH for older adults and people with disabilities.
New Justice in Aging Resources
- Resource: Roadmap to Home Care for All Californians (8/13)
- Alert: Medicare at Home Act Introduced in the House (8/10)
- Issue Brief: Health Care Bills and Dually Eligible Individuals (7/30)
- Resource: State Medical Billing Protections for Dually Eligible Individuals (7/30)
- Issue Brief: Medicare Premium Bills and Dually Eligible Individuals (7/30)
- Fact Sheet: The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Resource Limit and Common Solutions (Justice in Aging and ABLE National Resource Center) (7/28)
- Fact Sheet: Aging in California: The Data (7/22)
- Issue Brief: Home- and Community-Based Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives: Recommendations for Increasing Access and Recognizing Resiliency (Justice in Aging and Autistic Self Advocacy Network) (7/17)
- Statement: Justice in Aging Condemns DHS’s Final Public Charge Rule (7/16)
- Comment Letter: Justice in Aging's Comments for OMB's Proposed Rule on Federal Financial Assistance (7/13)
- Fact Sheet: Title II Auxiliary and Survivor Benefits and Eligibility (Justice in Aging and Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (Delaware)) (7/13)
Upcoming Justice in Aging Webinars
- Public Charge Final Rule: What Advocates Need to Know (8/26)
- Residents’ Decision-Making Rights in Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living (9/8)
