With an ageing population and larger proportion of the electrical voting public being over 65+ years of age only growing in size, both of the major political parties in the USA ( Republicans and Democrats) will need to ensure they have policies that seem supportive of an aging "voting" population whilst balancing government finances.
This article examines policies being looked at that cover 5 areas:
Social Security.
Medicare.
Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs).
Older Americans Act (OAA).
National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA).
Social Security
In the context of Social Security, potential policy changes could include raising the retirement age, modifying the benefit calculation algorithm, increasing payroll taxes, or adopting means-testing for persons with higher incomes.
The goal of these potential policy changes is to ensure the long-term viability of Social Security. These alterations are being made in order to guarantee both the long-term financial health of the programme and the continuity of its benefits for future retirees.
Medicare
Expanding coverage in Medicare to encompass new services like dental, vision, and hearing care are some examples of prospective policy changes that are being considered for implementing in Medicare.
This extension is intended to address the unique healthcare requirements of older people and to improve health outcomes in general.
In addition, policy discussions are centring on the investigation of possible solutions to the problem of rising healthcare expenditures and the improvement of care coordination within the Medicare programme.
Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs)
Increasing financing and assistance for Ageing and Disability Resource Centres (ADRCs) is being reviewed to focus potential changes to policy in order to broaden the centres' scope of service and improve their efficiency.
This may require the allocation of additional resources for the purpose of staff training, the improvement of technological infrastructure, and the enhancement of collaborative efforts with community partners.
The objective is to make sure that people of all ages, including those with disabilities and senior citizens, have uncomplicated access to all the information they need, as well as aid in navigating the various services and supports that are accessible to them, especially as more services are becoming digital only services.
Older Americans Act (OAA)
Policy revisions to the OAA being considered are increasing financing for certain programmes contained within the Act, such as carer support, elder abuse prevention, and nutrition aid.
These alterations are being made in an effort to both cater to the ever-evolving requirements of an ageing population and handle newly arising issues. The result would be improved access to essential services, increased assistance for carers, and enhanced protection for elderly individuals who are particularly vulnerable.
National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA)
Potential changes to policy that are related to the NAPA include increasing government financing for research on Alzheimer's disease, expanding support for carer respite programmes, and enhancing public awareness campaigns.
The end objective is to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, but in the short term, the goal is to expedite progress in understanding and treating the condition, improve the quality of life for those who are impacted by the disease and their families, and finally find a cure.
It is crucial to note that the implementation and timescales for realising the benefits of these policy changes might differ greatly. This is something that needs to be kept in mind, we would hope that government would always look to long term policy changes that improve society and the people and not focus on short-term vote winning polices that never see the light of day.
Therefore the timing for some of the policy changes within this article, as well as the effects those changes will have, is in large part determined by the legislative process, the political dynamics, and the fiscal concerns.
We will revisit this article and update it on major legislative updates when they become publicly available.
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