Key Takeaways

  • Every year, NCOA advocates in support of appropriations that help older Americans remain healthy and economically secure in their own homes and communities.

  • The appropriations process consists of multiple steps, including hundreds of decisions made by House and Senate appropriators on which funding requests will be considered.

  • For the latest on the annual appropriations debate and how it impacts older adults and those who serve them, check back for our latest federal budget updates.

The annual appropriations process happens every year, when the discretionary spending portion of the federal budget is shaped by Congress. NCOA engages partners serving older adults across the country to advocate for these investments in Washington.

Funding for aging services programs, like the Older Americans Act, is a cost-effective investment. However, program cuts over the past decade disproportionately affected vulnerable Americans and struggling communities, and new investments have yet to keep up with demand or the costs of providing services. Empowering older adults to remain healthy and economically secure in their own homes and communities reduces spending on more costly entitlement programs. Every dollar provided to the aging services network for OAA initiatives also is leveraged by nearly three dollars in non-federal support.

Download NCOA's table of FY 2024 federal budget proposals and FY 2022 and 2023 appropriations for aging services programs of interest below.