Public Policy & Aging E-Newsletter
Volume 3, Number 2, March 2009
This bimonthly e-newsletter highlights key developments and viewpoints in the field of aging policy from a wide variety of sources, including articles and reports circulating in the media, academy, think tanks, private sector, government and nonprofit organizations.
The goal of this email publication is to reach teachers, students, and citizens interested in aging-related issues, especially those who may not have sufficient access to policy information disseminated both in Washington and around the country.
I. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON?
A. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1), a $787 billion economic stimulus plan aimed at creating millions of jobs and halting the U.S. economic downturn. The legislation will spur job growth through massive new investments in energy, transportation, education, and health care projects, while reviving social safety-net programs. Just under two-thirds of the costs will represent new government spending while a little over one-third will come from tax cuts. President Obama launched the website recovery.gov for people to track when and how the Act's funds are distributed.
B. NCOA's Bill Summary: The National Council on Aging (NCOA) released a summary of the key aging-related provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Some provisions include: $100 million for senior nutrition programs; $120 million for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP); a $1 billion investment in evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention strategies; $500 million to support programs that strengthen the health care workforce; and $19 billion for health information technology infrastructure for Medicare and Medicaid.
C. The Economic Recovery Package Will Help Poor Older Adults, but More Could Be Done: An Urban Institute fact sheet outlines how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will benefit older Americans: one-time payments for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will boost income for the poorest elderly; funds for the Social Security Administration will help older adults obtain benefits more quickly; and an increase in food assistance will help poor older adults pay for food. The authors then note how the Act falls short, specifically how the package includes only a small investment in job training and development for older workers even though older adults will need to work longer than in the past.
II. WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY?
A. The Nationwide Allocation of Recovery Funding: The Center for American Progress developed an interactive map that shows state-by-state funding allocations of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The map compares the amount that each state will get relative to the size of its economy. These funds include, among other provisions, direct tax cuts for families, increased unemployment insurance and food stamps, new education-system funding, additional funds for clean energy programs, state-level infrastructure projects, and assistance necessary to protect vital services such as Medicaid. The article also lists allocations for programs and tax cuts that are greater than $1 billion.
B. The Social Security Administration (SSA) just released its annual report on state assistance programs for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. The report compares the administration-the governmental unit responsible for administering these payments-and eligibility requirements for the three major state assistance programs for SSI: state supplementation (mandatory and optional) of federal SSI payments; state assistance for special needs; and Medicaid. Findings are presented for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
C. Facing Deficits, at Least 40 States are Imposing or Planning Cuts That Hurt Vulnerable Residents: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report that describes how continuing economic problems have led at least 40 states to propose or enact reduced services to their residents, including the elderly and disabled. At least 22 states plus the District of Columbia have proposed cuts to medical, rehabilitative, home care, or other services needed by the low-income elderly or disabled. The authors forecast that Congressional economic recovery legislation that includes funding for state governments would mitigate some of these budget cuts.
III. THIS ISSUE'S MAJOR POLICY STORY: PRIORITY POLICY PROPOSALS FOR THE PRESIDENT
Less than 100 days into his presidency, in the midst of a deepening recesssion, Barack Obama has acted on some campaign promises and made clear many priorities. The President clearly wishes to stimulate recovery in the housing and manufacturing sectors, and to rescue the banking system. Besides offering tax relief and assistance to state and local governments, Obama seeks to rebuild the nation's infrastructure as the nation invests in solutions to the domestic health-care disparities and addresses environmental challenges. Current and future cohorts of older Americans, contends the administration, will benefit from outlays: Among other things funds are earmarked for senior nutrition programs and Medicaid matches, and to fund basic research as well as prevention strategies to reduce rates of chronic illness.
The articles in this section go beyond policy details of H.R. 1. They attempt to promote a dialog among stakeholders to (re)affirm policy priorities for elders that have a positive impact on rising generations, and thereby ameliorate targeted human-resources networks in ways analogous to concerns over the safety of bridges and the threat of climate change. We highlight issues in which Americans of all ages have a stake, issues that require immediate attention and action to prevent greater costs and catastrophes in the future.
--Andy Achenbaum
A. NCOA Priorities for the Presidential Transition: The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has sent a set of priorities to President Obama focused on five impact areas: promoting healthy aging; creating long-term services and supports to enhance capacity to live in communities with dignity, choice, and financial security; investing in workforce development to increase participation in meaningful work; expanding civic engagement opportunities that address community needs; and increasing access to public and private benefits and resources. The document categorizes priorities for the first 100 days of the new administration, 2009, and long-term administrative and regulatory changes.
B. LCAO Aging Policy Recommendations to the Transition Team: The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) offered recommendations to the Obama Administration regarding federal administrative and legislative policies that will improve the lives of older Americans. In the document, LCAO outlines the top issues facing America's seniors and provides specific recommendations on how to best tackle these challenges. Topics include civic engagement, Medicare, Medicaid, research funding, the digital television transition, retirement security, financing and quality of long-term services and supports, strengthening the geriatric health and long-term services and supports workforce, family caregivers, elder justice, and care coordination.
C. Strengthening Social Security for Vulnerable Groups: The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) released a report outlining twelve policy proposals for President Obama and the 111th Congress. These policy proposals aim to improve Social Security protections for low-wage workers, elderly widows, the oldest old, disabled individuals, farm workers, and low-paid workers with careers interrupted by caring for children or aging family members. The authors note that the recent financial crisis makes Social Security more important than ever.
D. FCA 2009 National Policy Statement: The Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) released a policy statement that encourages President Obama to strengthen policies and initiatives that recognize and support the estimated 44 million U.S. family caregivers. Recommendations include: creating a National Resource Center on Caregiving; modernizing Medicare and Medicaid to better support family caregivers; commissioning an Institute of Medicine (IOM) study on family caregiving; adequately funding programs that assist family caregivers; expanding paid leave policies; promoting policies that expand the geriatric care workforce; offering tax credits for family caregivers and employers; and strengthening Social Security by recognizing the work of family caregivers.
E. The Agenda: Seniors and Social Security: The Whitehouse website outlines President Obama's priorities for Seniors and Social Security. These include: ensuring Social Security's solvency while neither raising the retirement age nor privatizing the program; strengthening retirement savings by reforming corporate bankruptcy laws to protect retirees, requiring full disclosure of company pension investments, eliminating income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000, creating automatic workplace pensions, and preventing age discrimination; increasing the affordability of health care by providing cheaper prescription drugs, and protecting and strengthening Medicare and long-term care options; and supporting senior volunteer efforts.
IV. WORTH NOTING
A. Social Security Begins Taking Online Applications: In preparation for the coming eligibility of 80 million baby boomers, the Social Security Administration now allows people to apply online for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes. In the past, retirees had to mail in or deliver paper documents such as birth certificates; the new system usually requires no additional documents. Those with more complicated questions can still call the agency or visit an office.
B. AARP's Government Watch Website: AARP recently launched Government Watch, an interactive website designed to enable older Americans to track and provide input on federal and state legislative activity. Government Watch features: AARP's 2009 federal advocacy agenda and priority legislation; "Eye on Congress" that tracks Senators' and Representatives' voting records on issues critical to older Americans; "Eye on the States," which contains fact sheets for each state detailing the importance of health care reform, investment in home and community based care, aid to struggling homeowners, and retirement preparation; and identification of Congressional champions on issues that affect older Americans.
C. United Hospital Fund Launches Next Step in Care Website: The United Hospital Fund launched the Next Step in Care website to help improve working relationships between family caregivers and health care providers. The website offers guides and checklists for family caregivers, as well as guides designed for health care providers to make patients' transitions between care settings smoother and safer. The website is the first stage of a larger campaign that will engage hospitals, nursing home rehabilitation facilities, home health agencies, patient advocacy groups, and other family caregiver-focused organizations in addressing a range of transition-related challenges.
V. WHAT'S HAPPENING ABROAD?
A. Social Security Systems Around the World: The Population Reference Bureau's (PRB) January newsletter compares Social Security systems around the world. It tracks the emergence and outlines the characteristics of Social Security programs in many countries. It also describes Social Security's effects on economic and demographic behavior in each country, specifically its effects on retirement age and fertility rates. With this research, the author intends to better inform Social Security financing reform.
B. Age Source/Age Stats Worldwide: AARP has launched two new, searchable international databases. AgeSource Worldwide contains hundreds of resources from about 25 countries. These resources include clearinghouses, libraries, databases, training modules, and major reports. AgeStats Worldwide provides access to comparative statistical data and projections as far ahead as 2050 that compare the situation of older adults across countries or regions on a variety of issue areas. Click here to search either or both databases.
C. Pensions in Africa: A recent OECD working paper examines the current pension arrangements in selected African countries and discusses why the development of pension systems is important for the African region. Individual country overviews are provided for Botswana, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.
VI. PERSPECTIVES ON POLICY: ROB HUDSON, EDITOR, PP&AR
There can be no question that the current economic crisis is emerging as the most dire that we have seen since the 1930s. And, in terms of both employment opportunities and retirement savings, it seems certain to hit older Americans as hard as it will everyone else. Looking for any silver lining in this situation, one finally occurs to me. In recent years, pressures on age-related programs have built as "the scope of conflict" around aging policy has expanded, meaning that programs that were once politically insulated are now under scrutiny and attack from those who see entitlement spending for older adults leading us toward fiscal doom. Yet, the very challenge we face has allowed the scope of conflict to expand even wider and, in so doing, place aging policy on a side burner if not a back burner. Specifically in the case of Medicare, the issue is being recast, by President Obama and others, as being centrally about a health care financing and delivery system that is largely out of control and not as part of an entitlement crisis centered on older Americans. Less certain, but possible, is that Social Security is coming to be seen as either a manageable problem or even as en economic stabilizer both meeting needs and protecting income. There is nothing more shovel-ready in America than Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance.
Click here to view an index of issues of the quarterly Public Policy & Aging Report, including the most recent issue on the topic of "Aging and Tax Policy.
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Newsletter Editors: Sarah Frey and Greg O'Neill, National Academy on an Aging Society; Andy Achenbaum, University of Houston.
The Public Policy and Aging E-Newsletter is supported in part by a grant from the AARP Office of Academic Affairs.