March 2025   |       Visit our website:  www.ohioaging.org

Empowering Change: Key Takeaways from o4a's Advocacy Conference

In early March, o4a hosted its biennial Advocacy Conference at which more than 200 advocates from Area Agencies on Aging and aging network partners learned about important policy and legislative initiatives at the state and federal level. Attendees also learned best practices from experienced advocates about how to engage with legislators and advocate for the people and policies they care about.

On day one participants heard from Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran and Ohio Department of Aging Director Ursel McElroy about their agencies' state budget priorities and learned from a panel of legislators including Majority Floor Leader Marilyn John, House Finance Ranking Member Bride Rose Sweeny and Senator Hearcel Craig about major issues impacting older adults in the proposed budget and what they are hearing from constituents in their districts. o4a's Kelsey Bergfeld and consultant Tom Pappas dove into o4a's policy priorities and outlined the state budget process and political landscape at the Statehouse.

The exciting day concluded with a Legislative Reception where Area Agency on Aging leaders and staff connected with their state elected officials and updated them on the crucial services and supports they provide to their constituents and communities.  

Day two began with a dynamic presentation from Amy Gotwals, Chief of Public Policy and External Affairs at USAging on activities at the federal level under the new administration. Attendees also learned from a panel of experienced aging advocates from o4a partners from the Ohio Aging Advocacy Coalition, received a briefing on Ohio's changing demographics from individuals from the Scripps Gerontology Center and heard about housing challenges and solutions for older adults from a panel of housing experts. 

The full agenda and presentations from the conference are available here. A special thank you to all of our sponsors, speakers, staff, and volunteers who helped make the conference a success!

o4a and AAA's Testify in House on Governor's State Budget Proposal

Governor DeWine released his Fiscal Year 2026-2027 State Budget proposal on February 3rd. The proposal is first considered by the House of Representatives then will be heard in the Senate later in the spring. The budget bill, House Bill 96, was heard in multiple standing committees including the House Finance Committee. 

o4a's CEO Beth Kowalczyk testified in House Children and Human Services Committee on February 19, while Area Agency on Aging Region 9 CEO Jud Love and Area Agency on Aging, PSA 2 Assistant Director Nicole Khaner testified in the same committee on March 5. o4a's Chief Policy Officer Kelsey Bergfeld also testified before the House Finance Committee on March 11.

O4a's top budget priority is to strengthen the Senior Community Services Program which provides flexible, community-driven funding to Area Agencies on Aging for non-Medicaid services like home modifications and repairs, transportation, meals, housing assistance, personal care, and other types of supports that prevent social isolation. Lower cost and less intensive interventions funded through Senior Community Services delay and divert from enrollment in Medicaid and in more costly nursing home care, reduce waiting lists for services, enhance health and wellness programming and support family caregivers. 

Majority Leader Marilyn John drafted and sponsored and amendment to increase support for the Senior Community Services Program by $10 million per fiscal year, bringing the total allocation to $20.6 million per fiscal year. A bipartisan group of 15 additional legislators from across the state also supported the amendment.

The first round of amendments to the budget were due to the House Finance Chair on March 14th. An amended version of the bill, known as the sub-bill, is expected to be released April 1st with another round of amendments due April 4th. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on their version of the budget the second week of April while the Senate begins hearings. 

O4a in the News

We are thrilled to share that our CEO, Beth Kowalczyk, was awarded the Muriel Bertsch Award, the highest honor from the Ohio Association of Senior Centers (OASC) at the OASC Annual Conference! This award recognizes outstanding leadership, advocacy, and service to older adults.

O4a is grateful for our ongoing partnership with OASC and Ohio's Aging Network in advocacy, testimony, and education. Now more than ever, we must stand together to fight for the resources and support older Ohioans need to age in their homes and communities with dignity.

Beth has also been busy advocating for the needs of older Ohioans across a multitude of medias. Check out her interviews and podcasts below! 

• All Sides with Amy Juravich: Untangled: The politics of caregiving. Beth is joined by House Minority Leader Allison Russo and AARP Ohio State Director Jenny Carlson for a conversation about how policymakers can create a better care system for older adults.
• United Church Homes: Art of Aging: Stronger with Age: The Movement to Support and Empower Older Adults. Rev. Beth Long-Higgins and Beth discuss the importance of combating ageism and reframing societal perceptions of aging.
• Careforth: A Conversation on Advocacy for Ohio's Aging Population Part 1, Part 2. In a discussion with Elio Harmon, Beth shares how o4a supports older adults and their families across Ohio, ensuring they have access to essential services and resources. 

AAAs Hold Regional Legislative Roundtables

Throughout this spring Area Agencies on Aging are holding roundtable discussions with consumers, providers and elected officials to discuss the needs of older adults in their communities and how o4a's policy priorities seek to meet those needs. O4a's Kelsey Bergfeld has attended each roundtable to speak to the state budget process and the association's policy priorities and advocacy efforts. 

Many conversations so far have focused on the need for more flexible funding to address gaps in services that are beginning to grow with the end of one-time Covid relief dollars. The DeWine Administration and the General Assembly allocated $40 million in the last state budget towards Healthy Aging Grants to support local aging services focused on helping Ohioans ages 60 and older stay healthy, live longer, and maintain their independence. Though these funds had a tremendous impact, they also demonstrated that there is still a great ongoing need for services that one-time funds cannot meet.

To continue upon the profound outcomes of the Healthy Aging grants and meet the growing need, o4a and our members will continue to advocate for the General Assembly to invest in older adults and local communities by increasing the Senior Community Services Program by $10 million per fiscal year.

O4a thanks Congressman Dave Taylor, State Representative Mark Johnson, and State Senator Shane Wilkin as well as representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, U.S. Senator Jon Husted, Governor Mike DeWine, State Senator Steve Huffman and the Department of Aging for joining us! 

Federal Advocacy Update

Earlier this month, Congress passed the third Continuing Resolution (CR) of Fiscal Year 2025. The CR provides funding at FY24 levels for most programs through September 30th and averted a government shutdown. Aging and elder justice programs in the Administration for Community Living (ACL), including the Older Americans Act (OAA), were funded at FY24 levels. 

Language was added to the CR to extend funding for Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) programs for AAAs, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) and Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) to continue outreach to enroll low-income Medicare beneficiaries in cost-saving Medicare programs until the end of FY 2025, which is September 30. A longer extension of the MIPPA program was, like OAA reauthorization, dropped from a year-end spending package in December.

Next, Congress will turn its attention to Fiscal Year 2026, which starts October 1st. This process starts with the president’s budget, which typically comes in early spring, and will move into hearings and meetings in the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

O4a and Ohio’s Area Agencies on Aging will be in DC March 31-April 1 to join our AAA colleagues at the USAging Aging Policy Briefing, during which we will visit Ohio’s Congressional Delegation to talk about the importance of the Older Americans Act and Medicaid HCBS!

HHS Announces Transformation to Make America Healthy Again

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a restructuring in accordance with President Trump's Executive Order, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.”

The restructuring seeks to serve multiple goals without impacting critical services, including streamlining the functions of the Department and save taxpayer dollars through a reduction in workforce of about 10,000 full-time employees.

A significant piece of the restructuring plan includes the reorganization of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) which administers critical programs that support older adults and people with disabilities. ACL will be integrated into other HHS agencies, including the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), ASPE, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). HHS asserts the reorganization will not impact Medicare and Medicaid services. Read HHS's full announcement here. 

Next Generation MyCare Program Update Webinar

Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) is holding a webinar to share more information about the Next Generation MyCare Ohio program and what it means for providers and consumers. They are offering the same webinar twice. Please register for the time that works best for you.  

• April 7, 2025 2pm-3pm Register here
• April 10, 2025 9am-10am Register here

o4a Welcomes New Chief Training Officer

o4a was delighted to welcome Caroline Whitaker in early February as our Chief Training Officer. Caroline will lead the development of our online training programs and coordinate all conferences.