August 15, 2007

Contact Your Senators This Month
Urge Them to Support OAA Programs that Help Seniors
Stay Healthy and Independent

The House and Senate will be in recess for the rest of this month. The August recess is a perfect opportunity to reconnect with your Senators and their staff to urge them to bring this important legislation to the Senate floor.

Thanks to those of you who have contacted your Senate offices and customized and sent the sample letter below to your Senators. If you haven’t done so already, please take a few moments to urge your Senators to support OAA program increases by taking-up the Labor-HHS appropriations bill on the Senate floor when Congress returns to Washington in September.

Background

The full Senate has yet to take up its Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. The House has already voted to approve its’ version of the spending bill (H.R. 3043). n4a’s chart comparing funding in the two bills is attached for your reference (and is available in the n4a web site members’ section at: http://www.n4a.org/members/pdf/FY2008July23.pdf.)

Overall, the Senate Appropriations bill includes greater increases for OAA programs, with two exceptions: the House bill increases two programs (Title III B supportive services and centers and the Title V older worker program) that were level funded by the Senate.

While the House bill only places $16.5 million for Choices for Independence activities under Title II and includes increases for nutrition and Title VI Native American programs, the Senate bill exceeds those increase levels, providing:

• $28 million in Choices for nursing home diversion, ADRCs, and evidence-based
• disease prevention and health promotion;
• Roughly a five percent increase in meals programs; and
• A more than six percent increase in Title VI Part A.

The Senate bill also recommends not less than $35 million for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) counseling under CMS, a $5 million increase over last year. Although, the House bill goes even further by recommending $45 million.

To ensure that these increases are passed by the Senate when they return to Washington, we need you to take action during the August recess!

Action Steps to Take

1) Call the local offices of your Senators. To find contact information for their state offices, visit their web sites, which you can find at: http://www.senate.gov.

2) Introduce yourself to the Senator’s staff and identify what agency you represent; mention how critical OAA is in your area; and then ask your Senators to support the highest possible OAA funding levels in this year’s Labor-HHS-Education spending bill.

3) Customize the following letter on your agency’s letterhead and send it to your Senators’ DC office via fax or email (contact info. can be found on the Senator’s web site).

4) Ask others to do the same! Urge colleagues, advisory board members, volunteers and clients to make calls and send faxes/emails to both of your state’s Senators. A steady drum beat of support for OAA funding will help get their attention.

Sample Letter

Dear Senator [NAME]:

On behalf of the [#####] older adults and caregivers that the [NAME OF AAA/Title VI program] reaches every year through a wide range of home and community-based services, I am writing to urge you to support Older Americans Act (OAA) programs under the FY ‘08 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. Specifically, I am asking you to support proposed funding for senior nutrition programs, Native American aging programs, and Choices for Independence activities.

As you may know, the Older Americans Act (OAA) is the backbone of the nation's long-term care system, providing older adults with much needed services that include [FILL-IN INFORMATION ON YOUR PROGRAMS HERE].

For years, OAA funding has not kept pace with inflation or the growing population eligible for services, yet demand by at-risk older adults in need of supportive services has risen and will only continue to rise with the growth in the aging population.

[ADD LOCAL DATA HERE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AND WHO YOU SERVE]. For example, include your statistics on older adults and caregivers served, mention any waiting lists for services, offer an example of how increased fuel costs have squeezed your budget and your services, etc.]

[NAME OF AAA/Title VI program] appreciates your efforts to enhance funding for critical Older Americans Act programs in the midst of many other competing priorities. Sincerely,

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For more information, please contact Amy E. Gotwals (agotwals@n4a.org) or K.J. Hertz (khertz@n4a.org), n4a’s Public Policy and Legislative Affairs staff. 202-872-0888.