NCOA was on Capitol Hill yesterday to release two important new reports in advance of Falls Prevention Awareness Week starting Sept. 22.

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and Mary Lazare, Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL) joined NCOA President and CEO Ramsey Alwin to release the 2025 National Falls Prevention Action Plan. Developed over a year with experts, the roadmap lays out six strategies to reduce the number of falls among older adults over the next 10 years.

NCOA also released new research showing participants in evidence-based falls prevention programs experience a 52% reduction in the number of times fallen and a 26% reduction in hospital admissions. Researchers estimate that a $45 million annual investment in these programs could save the federal government up to $1.2 billion in Medicare and Medicaid costs annually.

From what we're hearing on Capitol Hill, it seems Congress only has the votes to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR). While that means aging services programs keep their current funding levels in the short-term, we still don't know what cards lawmakers will play when a full set of spending bills for FY26 (which starts Oct. 1, 2025) comes around.

While no cuts are made by a Continuing Resolution, rising consumer prices mean level-funded programs will have less impact.

That's a problem, given that last week's report from the U.S. Census Bureau showed the poverty rate among older adults has increased again, this time to 15%.

A Continuing Resolution only pushes difficult conversations—and solutions—down the road. As we've discussed in previous newsletters, the administration, House, and Senate have very different plans for the FY26 budget, and eventually they'll have to be resolved.

Here's a look at what the House Appropriations Committee (the one that reviews funding bills before they're voted on) approved in a recent FY26 bill:

• Elimination of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
• Level funding of falls prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• A $10 million increase for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance  Program (LIHEAP)
• A one-third cut to AmeriCorps funding

Given the devastating impacts of cuts and withheld funding already hitting SCSEP participants, we're hoping Congress avoids cuts to other programs older adults depend on.

These funding discussions affect what older Americans can do to protect their health. Nearly 80% of older adults have two or more chronic or mental health conditions—and that's the leading driver of our country's $4.9 trillion in annual health costs. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and fall-related injuries incur tremendous out-of-pocket costs for a group with few options for increasing their income.

Despite the urgency of these concerns, nothing about them appeared in the administration's recent public health recommendations. A truly healthy America must prioritize health across generations, with a focus on proven, low-cost ways to make olde adults healthier.

The budget process moves slowly until, suddenly, it's moving at light speed and votes are being scheduled left and right. If you're interested in providing expertise or support on behalf of aging services, reach out to our Public Policy and Advocacy Team at [email protected].

'Til next time,

The NCOA Team

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