September 2025
Federal Shutdown Concerns
There has been a lot of talk about how a federal government shutdown could affect older adults and their families. The good news is that some key agencies—like Health and Human Services, the Post Office, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs—would keep running.
Programs that programs that rely on annual funding, such as WIC, would be paused until Congress acts. Medicare and Medicaid would continue since they’re authorized by law, but delays could happen if staffing is reduced.
Another big change: Medicare’s Telehealth and Hospital-at-Home flexibilities expired on September 30, which means Medicare will not reimburse for telehealth care delivered to people in their homes, telehealth visits in some non-rural areas, and hospital-at-home care.
🫶 Care Giving Committee
The Care Giving Committee’s focus next year will be the new Medigap penalties that became law during the 2025 session. Elders for Justice will focus on collaborative advocacy in 2026.
Another area of focus will be rural nursing home closures. Some facilities are converting to assisted living because of staffing shortages and lower Medicaid funding. A visit to a facility will be conducted by members of Elders for Justice.
🏠 Housing News
Meetings with Minnesota Housing and the Minnesota Housing Partnership, where All Elders for Justice is an active member, have been completed. Five big housing themes emerged:
Availability and choice
Cost and affordability
Accessibility and condition
Regulation
Education and awareness
These issues will be addressed in 2026.
🌐 Broadband Access Update
Federal funding for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is currently on hold due to an executive order. States had to resubmit their broadband plans by September 4, so for now, there’s a lot of uncertainty around what happens next.
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