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Insider’s Report: President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Would Benefit Seniors
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President Biden’s new infrastructure package includes $400 billion toward expanding quality home- and community-based care for seniors. This money would keep seniors in their homes and communities, instead of in nursing homes. His plan also calls for giving home-health aides a long overdue raise and improving workers’ benefits.
This follows on the heels of President Biden’s COVID relief package, which included $12.6 billion for Medicaid home- and community-based long-term care; $4.5 billion for LIHEAP, the federally-funded program that helps keep low-income seniors’ homes heated and cooled; and more than $1.4 billion to strengthen critical programs for older adults, including nutrition assistance and caregiver support.
Home and community-based care is significantly less costly than nursing home care. What’s more, seniors are more likely to thrive when they are able to remain in their homes and communities — with familiar surroundings and more frequent interactions with friends and family.
In addition, President Biden’s infrastructure plan would make other investments that would impact older Americans, including increasing affordable housing, expanding access to broadband internet service which would help older Americans living in rural communities, and improving public transit.
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| Older Americans Act |
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The Older Americans Act (OAA), originally enacted in 1965, supports a range of home and community-based services, such as meals-on-wheels and other nutrition programs, in-home services, transportation, legal services, elder abuse prevention and caregivers support. These programs help seniors stay as independent as possible in their homes and communities. In addition, OAA services help seniors avoid hospitalization and nursing home care and, as a result, save federal and state funds that otherwise would be spent on such care.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, home delivered meals, which were added to the OAA 49 years ago, served as the sole source of nutrition and social contact for millions of older Americans. While funding for the OAA increased significantly during Fiscal Year 2020 in response to the pandemic, the National Committee is concerned that Congress may return to the historic practice of underfunding these vital programs despite the needs of our growing elderly population. The National Committee urges the Biden Administration and Congress to fully fund the OAA for FY 2022.
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| Ask Web |
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Our resident Social Security expert, Webster Phillips — a Senior Policy Analyst for the National Committee and a 31-year veteran at the Social Security Administration — is here to answer your questions about Social Security.
You can either search our archives for valuable advice on a broad range of concerns or submit your question here.
This week's question is: My husband and I both worked full time for many years and individually will qualify for close to a maximum benefit. Will we each be able to do that, or is there a maximum payment to married persons that is less than the total they would receive if they were not married?
Click here to read the answer.
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| Take Our Poll |
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Do you support President Biden’s proposal to raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, which is still lower than the 35% corporate tax rate that was in effect before the 2017 Trump-GOP tax law?
Take our poll now!
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Legislation
Learn more about the bills we support and oppose in the current session of Congress. |
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Donate Now
Your support sustains our campaigns in Washington to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. |
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Coronavirus
Find valuable information, essential tips and warnings about COVID-19-related scams. |
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| Food Insecurity in a Nation of Plenty |
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Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee discusses food insecurity in America, and how the importance of nutrition programs for seniors have greatly increased because of COVID. (March 26, 2021, WTTN, Radio Interview with NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman)
Listen Here →
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| Consequences for Seniors Voting in GA Under New Law |
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"This will make it harder for seniors' voting rights to be protected. This law is really a so-called solution in search of a problem," says Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. (March 30, 2021, WRGA, Radio Interview with NCPSSM President & CEO Max Richtman)
Listen Here →
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| Boosting Home and Community Based Care |
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National Committee Government Relations and Policy Director Dan Adcock discusses the good things that are in the COVID relief package for seniors, including improvements to home and community-based care. (March 31, 2021, WKXL, Radio interview with NCPSSM Director of Government Relation & Policy Dan Adcock)
Listen Here →
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