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:
Medicaid Eligibility Changes for Noncitizens Take Effect
On October 1, H.R. 1’s changes to Medicaid eligibility for immigrants took effect. These changes restrict critical health and long-term care access for many low-income immigrant older adults.
As of October 1, federally funded Medicaid coverage will be restricted to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents (“green card holders”), certain Cuban and Haitian entrants, and persons living in the U.S. under the Compact of Free Association (COFA). Many lawfully present immigrants who were previously covered will now lose Medicaid, including refugees, asylees, and trafficking and domestic violence survivors.
For more on changes to Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace tax credits, see Justice in Aging’s fact sheet: Understanding the Impact of H.R.1 on Older Immigrants’ Access to Health Care.
Additional Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Nonprofits Challenging Public Charge Rule
A group of nonprofit organizations recently filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York challenging the implementation of the new public charge rule. The plaintiff organizations—Make the Road New York, New York Legal Assistance Group, Association to Benefit Children, and African Communities—are represented by Democracy Forward, the Legal Aid Society, and Center for Constitutional Rights.
This new lawsuit follows two other lawsuits filed on September 14 by a group of states and local governments that also challenges the new public charge rule. All cases argue that the new public charge rule promulgated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its accompanying guidance, which went into effect on September 18, are unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act.
For more information about the rule and older immigrants, see Justice in Aging’s resources on public charge.
New GAO Report Highlights Unpaid Work of Caregiving
A new report issued from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Unpaid Household Work: Estimated Value and Time Spent on Domestic Tasks and Caregiving, provides insight into the value of unpaid labor, including caregiving for older adults.
GAO estimates that the average daily value of caring for adults ranged from about $51 to $64 per caregiver. In total, the report found that the national annual market value of all unpaid household work–including domestic work, caregiving for children, and caregiving for adults – was at least $5.6 to $6 trillion, which was the equivalent of about 20 percent of gross domestic product in 2024. GAO noted that this data could be helpful to policymakers in consideration of policies to help support caregivers and increase access to Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS).
Learn more in our HCBS Primer about the gaps and inequities in access to home-based care.
