On Monday, the White House released the President’s Budget outlining the Administration’s policy priorities for fiscal year 2025. The Budget includes important investments in programs and policies that help advance equity and ensure low-income older adults can meet their basic needs. These include proposals to:

• Strengthen Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The President’s Budget would increase the Social Security Administration’s (SSA's) funding by 9% from the 2023 level to improve SSA customer service and make benefits more accessible to those in need. It would also require the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share to fund Social Security. The Budget also calls for a national paid family and medical leave program administered by SSA that would provide up to 12 weeks of leave for eligible workers.
   
• Invest in Housing Stability for Older Adults. The President’s Budget recognizes the rising rate of homelessness among older adults and proposes to create a $3 billion grant program to help communities provide targeted support for older adults in unstable housing situations and for those currently experiencing homelessness. The funding can be used for short- or longer-term cash assistance to cover rental arrears or other housing costs to prevent eviction, emergency home modification or emergency relocations, and to help older adults cover unexpected financial burdens such as a health emergency.
   
• Advance Access to Home-Based Care. The President’s Budget renews the Biden Administration’s call for Congress to invest $150 billion to improve and expand Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) and support the people who provide care. The Budget includes additional investments in the direct care workforce, family caregivers, and other home-based supports to help older adults and people with disabilities live at home and stay connected to their communities.
   
• Address Nursing Facility Quality. The Budget includes funding to improve the accuracy and reliability of Nursing Home Care Compare data and measures to hold nursing facility owners accountable for noncompliant closures and substandard care. 
   
• Expand Access to Medicare Premiums and Cost-Sharing Assistance. The President’s Budget proposes to align Medicare Savings Programs and Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) eligibility methodologies; allow retroactive coverage of Part B premiums for Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) applicants, as is currently available for other Medicare Savings Programs; and authorize Tribal Health Programs to pay Medicare Part B premiums directly on behalf of their members. The Administration requests funding to support Inflation Reduction Act implementation, including targeted outreach to people who are eligible but not enrolled in the LIS program. 
   
• Improve Navigation of Medicare and Medicaid for People Dually Enrolled. The Budget proposes to build on the Financial Alignment Initiative Demonstrations by further unifying the Medicare and Medicaid appeals processes for individuals who are dually eligible. 
   
• Promote Equity within and across Government Programs. Among other things, the President’s Budget calls on Congress to eliminate Medicaid funding caps for the Territories and align their federal matching rates with those for states, as well as move toward parity for SSI, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and other programs. It also includes funding for certain agencies to strengthen language access services, support for preservation of Native American Languages, proposals to improve demographic and social determinants of health data collection, and funding for a government program that builds infrastructure and supports economic stability in tribal and rural communities. Finally, the budget invests money to support the enforcement of civil rights laws and the prosecution of hate crimes.

Justice in Aging stands ready to work with Congress and the Biden Administration to enact these policies and investments. Read about how Justice in Aging is working to address these and other issues in our 2024 Economic Security Priorities and Health Policy Priorities.