What to Know About the Older Americans Act and the Services it Provides to Older Adults

(By Meredith Freed, Juliette Cubanski, and Tricia Neuman for The Kaiser Family Foundation Published: Jun 03, 2025)

Since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, the federal government has played a central role in providing support to older adults and people with low incomes, with health insurance coverage under Medicare for those 65 and older and Medicaid for those with low incomes, including older adults. The Older Americans Act, enacted that same year, is perhaps lesser known than Medicare and Medicaid but also provides important support for older adults through a broad range of community-based social services programs, including home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation services, caregiver support, chronic disease prevention services, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. These programs and services may face some disruption, however, in light of the Trump administration’s organizational changes and staffing reductions at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which houses the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the agency that has administered the programs and services authorized by the Older Americans Act. Continue reading here…

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