Welcome to The Senior Alliance's advocacy newsletter, COLLOQUY!

This monthly e-mail is a look at the issues, legislation, and events impacting aging.

Federal Budget Update

Congress passed the remaining 70% of fiscal year 2025's budget on March 23, 2024, following six months of funding the federal government through continuing resolutions. Included in this minibus package was the Department of Health and Human Services appropriations bill, which funds area agencies on aging like The Senior Alliance. Unfortunately, home-delivered and congregate meals received an $8 million cut in this package. However, there was an increase in funding of $75 million for mental health research, $100 million for Alzheimer's disease research, $120 million for cancer research, and $5 million for opioid research.

The first 30% of the budget was passed on March 8, 2024. This earlier set of appropriations reinstated funds for the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), which partially funds The Senior Alliance's Michigan Medicare Assistance Program (MMAP). The reinstatement was the result of nationwide advocacy from aging network partners and is a huge win for aging advocates.

Fiscal year 2025's budget process began earlier this month with the White House releasing President Biden's proposed budget. Spending for FY 2025's budget is already capped by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, with discretionary non-defense spending receiving a one percent cut across all programs in this upcoming fiscal year. The only Older Americans Act programs to receive increases in the President's budget were congregate meals and home-delivered meals, commonly referred to as Meals on Wheels. Both programs received a proposed identical increase of $81.4 million.

MI House DHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Hears Aging Services Testimony

The Michigan House of Representatives Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee heard testimony regarding aging and disability services on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. This committee determines funding levels for all health and human services-related activities in Michigan during the next fiscal year, such as the work done by area agencies on aging like The Senior Alliance. The hearing focused on many topics affecting older adults and adults with disabilities, including the direct care worker shortage, the lack of funding for long-term care ombudsman, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' new staffing requirements for nursing homes. The full hearing can be found here. 

Redistricting Update

The Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) has selected the Motown Sound FC E1 Michigan House district map to submit to the three-judge federal panel that ruled down the current district maps in December. The original maps were struck down on the basis that they violated the equal protection rights of Black voters within the districts of Detroit and Metro Detroit.

The Motown Sound FC E1 map will alter House Districts one through 14 if it is adopted by the court. This new map does not pit any incumbents against each other in the August primary. The goal is to have these new districts in place by March 29, with work on state Senate districts beginning shortly thereafter.

MSU Receives MDHHS Grant To Address Direct Care Worker Shortage

Michigan State University received a $25 million grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services this month to address the state’s shortage of direct care workers (DCWs). In Michigan, at least 36,000 more DCWs are needed in addition to the 190,000 DCWs already serving the state’s residents.

MSU plans to create a Direct Care Career Center with the grant funds. The center will aim to increase pathways into the field and transform the public view of the direct care workforce into a well-respected profession. It will also have a DCW training and credentialing program, a marketing plan to support the DCW public awareness and recruitment campaign, and assistance for DCWs with childcare, tuition, and transportation.

Advocacy Questions: Please contact Nikki Hartley, Government Relations and Outreach Specialist, with any advocacy or public policy questions via e-mail at nhartley@thesenioralliance.org.

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