Congress has begun shaping federal funding for fiscal year 2026, with major implications for aging services providers and the older adults they serve.
In late July, the Senate approved its version of the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill. The House is now considering its own bill, which differs in several key areas. You can read more about the Senate committee action and the House’s markup process on the LeadingAge website.
Meanwhile, negotiations on Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) appropriations will continue past the October 1 start of the fiscal year. LeadingAge urges members to use the coming weeks to press their elected officials to support the higher Senate committee funding levels. Members can use LeadingAge’s Action Alerts to easily contact policymakers.
In addition to appropriations advocacy, LeadingAge submitted formal comments on two proposed federal rules. To the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), LeadingAge stressed that deep cuts to Medicare fee-for-service home health payments would severely limit older adults’ access to care. Read more about LeadingAge’s comments to CMS.
To the Department of Labor (DOL), LeadingAge opposed a proposed rule that would eliminate Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) protections for home care workers, arguing that such a change would destabilize the workforce. Read LeadingAge’s comments to DOL.
LeadingAge will continue to advocate on all fronts—funding, workforce, and access to care—as fiscal year 2026 negotiations and rulemaking progress.