State Legislative Goals for 2026

New York StateWide Senior Action Council (“StateWide”) urges the NYS Legislature and the Governor to address our priority concerns in the 2026 Session. We will be strong advocates on issues related to:

• the home care worker shortage
• ensuring quality of care in hospitals and nursing homes and upholding consumer rights
• adequate funding for services for older residents, including expanded funding for StateWide’s Patient Rights Helpline and Medicare & EPIC counseling programs
• ensuring full funding for Medicaid, especially in light of federal reductions
• improving health delivery systems and access to care, including dental providers, while addressing the capacity of the entire medical workforce to meet the needs of an aging population
• addressing the shortage of affordable, accessible and supportive housing
• providing adequate budget funding to the NYS Office for Aging (NYSOFA) and other state agencies that provide essential senior services to address

1. current shortages, wait lists and unmet need
2. the continued rapid aging of the population and
3. the impact of sustained higher than normal inflation

• improving the EPIC program
• providing Dental Insurance Coverage for Medicare enrollees on NY State of Health

State Legislative Goals for 2026 (cont.)

Federal Legislative Goals for 2026

New York StateWide Senior Action Council (“StateWide”) urges the NYS Congressional Delegation and the President to address our priority concerns in the 119th Congress. We will be strong advocates on issues related to:

• solutions to the home care worker shortage to ensure people of all ages and abilities can receive care in the community
• ensuring quality of care in hospitals and nursing homes, including adequate oversight, safe staffing standards and upholding consumer rights
• minimizing the use of insurer prior authorization that delays access to services that are the recognized standard of care
• adequate funding for services for older residents, including modernization of the Older Americans Act and extending the Affordable Connectivity Program
• addressing the shortage of affordable, accessible and supportive housing and ensuring funding for Permanent Supportive Housing for Older Adults
• improving the solvency of the Medicare and Social Security Trust funds without cuts to benefits or eligibility for current enrollees or generations to come
• opposing privatization of Social Security and policies that favor commercial Medicare coverage over original Medicare
• opposing reductions in the federal share of Medicaid costs and proposals to provide block grant funding to states that are a de facto cut
• opposing tax cuts for the richest Americans and corporations at the expense of reduced services benefiting the majority of Americans (eg. healthcare, social services such as SNAP and LIHEAP benefits and environmental protections)
• efforts to reduce homelessness, hunger and poor health outcomes by restoring and improving federal funding for Medicaid, SNAP, Affordable Care Act enhanced premium supports and senior housing.

Federal Legislative Goals for 2026 (cont.)