being a healthy aging resource for policymakers€¦ · being a healthy aging resource for...

Being a Healthy

Aging Resource

for Policymakers

Howard Bedlin, Vice President,

Public Policy & Advocacy

Marci Phillips, Director,

Public Policy & Advocacy

April 5, 2018

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 2

Politics is Still Local

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 3

Why bother

▪ If you are serving others, advocacy is an important part

of the effort

▪ It’s MUCH more than lobbying

▪ We need to make sure voices are heard

▪ Elected officials need help serving their constituents

and understanding their needs and the realities in local

communities

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 4

What the relationship is really about

▪ Members of Congress rely on constituent input and support

▪ National Congressional staff have to juggle multiple issues AND understand impacts back home

▪ District/State Congressional staff need to understand local communities

▪ These needs are similar across all levels of government

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 5

What does it take?

▪ Building and sustaining relationships is an ongoing

process

▪ Congressional staff are key contacts

▪ Share your service delivery and policy expertise

▪ Leverage relationships of partners and other allies

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 6

Steps you can take

▪ Introduce yourself

▪ Share news

▪ Help with constituent services

▪ Invite to visits & events

▪ Use traditional & social media to get the word out

▪ Leverage your networking resources: board members, local partners & coalitions, other elected officials, clients & families

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 7

Local relationships and policy

▪ Research shows the influence of constituent interactions and providing local information to Congress► Direct constituent interactions have more influence on

lawmakers' decisions than other advocacy strategies.

► Congress places a high value on groups and citizens who have built relationships with the legislator and staff. Key staff contacts include the issue-appropriate Legislative Assistants and District/State Directors.

► Citizen advocates are more influential and contribute to better public policy when they provide personalized and local information to Congress.

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 8

Opportunities in 2018

▪ Little Congressional activity in Washington on senior

issues expected in 2018

▪ More recesses = more time at home and better

chances for your interaction

▪ Election year = candidates looking to connect,

especially with seniors & on senior issues

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 9

Healthy Aging debates on the horizon

▪ Appropriations likely the only legislation to pass – if it gets done this year

▪ Administration FY19 request:► Administration for Community Living (ACL) Falls Prevention:

eliminated

► ACL Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME): eliminated

► Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Falls Prevention: eliminated

► ACL Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Grants (OAA III-D): increased by $5 million

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 10

Congress and Healthy Aging funding

▪ Congress continues to invest in Healthy Aging and has rejected Administration proposals

▪ For FY18, Administration called for eliminating CDC Falls Prevention funding and cutting CDSME by $3 million

▪ Congress level-funded all programs:► CDSME: $8 million

► ACL Falls Prevention: $5 million

► CDC Falls Prevention: $2.05 million

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 11

Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF)

▪ Created by the ACA, it represents the nation’s largest single investment in prevention

▪ Purpose: to provide expanded and sustained national investments in prevention and public health, to improve health outcomes, and to enhance health care quality

▪ Funds a range of evidence-based activities, e.g., diabetes, heart disease and stroke prevention, immunization, smoking cessation, Chronic Disease Self-Management (CDSME - $8 million) and falls prevention ($5 million)

▪ Congress recently reduced future funding (again) and has made many attempts to repeal

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 12

Opportunities for DC engagement

▪ Please schedule Congressional visits around NCOA

Center for Healthy Aging’s Annual Meeting week of

May 21 - 25

▪ Email Marci Phillips (marci.phillips@ncoa.org) to share

interest

▪ Receive tips and resources to contact and educate key

staff of top Congressional targets

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 13

Opportunities for local engagement

▪ Engage Congressional delegations and staff in meetings, events, site visits during recesses

▪ Refer to NCOA’s Advocacy Toolkit (ncoa.org/toolkit) to get more idea and tips, including Effective Advocacy at Home

▪ Refer to our messages: NCOA CDSME & Falls Prevention Advocacy Toolkit

▪ Stay in touch with advocacy news sign-up

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 14

Key Congressional targets

Senate Appropriations Committee(Labor-HHS Subcommittee members highlighted)

Republicans

Shelby, Richard C. (AL) (expected new Chair)

McConnell, Mitch (KY)

Shelby, Richard C. (AL)

Alexander, Lamar (TN)

Collins, Susan M. (ME)

Murkowski, Lisa (AK)

Graham, Lindsey (SC)

Blunt, Roy (MO), Labor-HHS Chair

Moran, Jerry (KS)

Hoeven, John (ND)

Boozman, John (AR)

Capito, Shelley Moore (WV)

Lankford, James (OK)

Daines, Steve (MT)

Kennedy, John (LA)

Rubio, Marco (FL)

vacancy

Democrats

Leahy, Patrick J. (VT), Ranking Member

Murray, Patty (WA), Labor-HHS Ranking

Feinstein, Dianne (CA)

Durbin, Richard J. (IL)

Reed, Jack (RI)

Tester, Jon (MT)

Udall, Tom (NM)

Shaheen, Jeanne (NH)

Merkley, Jeff (OR)

Coons, Christopher A. (DE)

Schatz, Brian (HI)

Baldwin, Tammy (WI)

Murphy, Christopher (CT)

Manchin, Joe (WV)

Van Hollen, Chris (MD)

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 15

Key Congressional targets

House Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee(Full Committee list)

Republicans Democrats

Tom Cole (OK-4), Chairman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member

Mike Simpson (ID-2) Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)

Steve Womack (AR-3), Vice Chair Barbara Lee (CA-13)

Chuck Fleischmann (TN-3) Mark Pocan (WI-2)

Andy Harris, MD (MD-1) Katherine Clark (MA-5)

Martha Roby (AL-2)

Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3)

John Moolenaar (MI-4)

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 16

NCOA Public Policy & Advocacy contacts

Howard Bedlin

Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy

howard.bedlin@ncoa.org, 571-527-3994

Marci Phillips

Director, Public Policy and Advocacymarci.phillips@ncoa.org, 571-527-3980@mjpncoa

Improving the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020 | © 2018 National Council on Aging 17

Q&A

Questions?

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