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Initiatives to Advance Long-Term Services and Supports Reform

The history of policy efforts in long-term service and support (LTSS) is an important source of information and context as policymakers consider future reforms. This three-part project will (1) support the creation of a concise, practical compendium of LTSS financing reform solutions for federal policymakers; (2) explore how individuals with LTSS need to access the home care system and how that varies by program eligibility, create a journey map of how individuals enter the system to access home care, and the key barriers they face; (3) will analyze recent state activity and state goals on LTSS reform by cataloguing new state laws and programs as well as active discussions to enact new financing options.

2025 MPA Implementation Advocacy Project

California’s Master Plan for Aging has strong stakeholder support, but it takes focused leadership to coordinate and sustain momentum. With support of the MPA Fund, Justice in Aging will continue to facilitate stakeholder engagement to advance and ensure implementation of specific policies consistent with the goals of the Governor’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA). JIA will provide staff support to lead MPA stakeholder advisory committees and produce a stakeholder report on MPA progress and priorities.

Addressing Gaps in Emergency Response Systems for Older Adults Impacted by Wildfires

Older adults and people with disabilities experienced significant barriers to safe evacuation during the Los Angeles wildfires. LeadingAge California analyzed the experiences of congregate living providers and residents during the emergency response. Based on this analysis, they produced recommendations to improve emergency preparedness and disaster response in the future.

HCBS Definition and Consensus

A shared language is essential to advancing effective home and community-based services (HCBS) policies. Through this project, HSRI will conduct a national environmental scan, engaging diverse voices, and synthesizing findings into a definition of HCBS. The aim of this definition is to support alignment in policy, advocacy, and service delivery—ultimately strengthening the effectiveness, equity, and coordination of HCBS for individuals with long-term support needs.

Strategies for Improving Long-Term Care: Educating State Policymakers

Affordability and access to long-term services and supports (LTSS) ensures older adults can remain in their homes and the community. This project aims to strengthen the capacity and efficiency of state legislatures to consider policy options and innovations to support aging individuals, particularly policies around long-term care financing. This will be accomplished through the development and dissemination of policy briefs, technical assistance, and a meeting of state legislatures.

Developing a National Rural Strategy & Reimagining Rural Policy for the 21st Century

The Brookings Institution’s Reimagining Rural Policy initiative is launching a high-level bipartisan commission in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) to call attention to the unique challenges and opportunities in rural America and publish a National Rural Strategy presenting a vision for policymakers and other national leaders to support rural prosperity, resilience, and fairness in the 21st century. This project will ensure that older adults with lived experience, including The SCAN Foundation’s priority populations, will be included in the initiative’s research and featured in a National Rural Strategy that will be present to policymakers, decisionmakers, and the American public in mid-2027.

ECO Group Toolkit

Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. To further advance systemic change through lived experience, the Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE) will create a Toolkit to support creation and operation of additional ECO Groups within and beyond California.

Supporting States in Preparing for the Long-Term Care Challenge: Lessons from Washington State

State-level advancement of LTC financing policy has long-stalled for a number of reasons, including a lack of knowledge about how best to design, advocate for, and shepherd a program to implementation. During this two-year project, Dr. Veghte will utilize research and stakeholder interviews, drawing upon his experience standing up WA Cares (the only existing state-based LTC financing program), to develop and disseminate six tactical toolkits to assist state efforts to conceptualize, build, and grow support for long-term care programs.

Medicaid HCBS/LTSS County-Level Data Dashboard

Affordable, accessible long-term care at home and in the community is essential for older adults to age well. This data analysis will result in a public-facing online data map that identifies all Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and institutional Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) users in the United States by county.

ECO Groups Phase 2

Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.

ECO Groups Phase 2

Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.

ECO Groups Phase 2

Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.

ECO Groups Phase 2

Supporting older adults to be at the center of identifying issues and codesigning solutions to independence at home and in the community is a cornerstone of systems changes. With co-funding from the California Health Care Foundation and Metta Fund, four California-based organizations will support “Equity Community Organizing Groups” (ECO Groups). In this second phase of the project, each community will begin to implement solutions that advance health care issues and address the needs in their community, ensuring that older adults are leading the efforts and lived experience is at the center.

Rural Voices 2025

In partnership with Public Policy Lab, Lutheran Services in America will analyze interviews from The People Say to identify key issues facing dually eligible older adults in rural areas. The project will surface policy priorities to improve access and quality of care and examine the impact of federal policies on Medicaid.