NANASP AND MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA
ADVOCATE FOR EMERGENCY FUNDING

Earlier this week we, along with Meals on Wheels America, submitted a letter with 63 other national organizations to Congressional leadership advocating for $200 million in emergency (non-disaster) funding before the end of the year to address the growing waitlists for OAA senior nutrition programs. This funding would provide nearly 75 million additional meals and serve almost 650,000 more older adults. We'll keep you updated on our progress.

NANASP RELEASES STATEMENT ON AGEISM AWARENESS DAY

Read NANASP's 2024 statement on Ageism Awareness Day by Chair Tara A. Ellis here.

NANASP ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) is pleased to announce the election of five new members to its 2024 Board of Directors. The Board plays a crucial role in advancing NANASP's mission of reshaping the future of healthy aging. Read the full statement from NANASP Chair Tara A. Ellis here. 

NANASP ANNOUNCES MEMBER MID-YEAR GRANT RECIPIENTS

NANASP has completed informing those who will receive our next round of NANASP member grants. We awarded a total of 15 grants with applicants from 11 states. A majority of grant projects funded were related to ending or reducing waiting lists followed by providing culturally appropriate meals, using technology to improve service delivery, reducing malnutrition, and providing medically tailored meals for clients' disease related dietary restrictions. Read NANASP's statement from NANASP Chair Tara A. Ellis here.

SENATE COMMITTEE PASSES 2024 OLDER AMERICANS ACT REAUTHORIZATION BILL

By a vote of 20-1 earlier today the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed Senate bill 4776, the  bipartisan Older Americans Act of 2024.  The bill which NANASP endorsed featured a greater than 18 percent increase in funding for all seven titles of the Act, maintained the existing separate congregate and home delivered meals programs in Title III, continued language to allow for greater use of grab and go meals and calls for a 2025 White House Conference on Aging.  The bill next goes to the full Senate which could consider it in September. READ NANASP’s FULL LETTER OF SUPPORT HERE. 

Meanwhile the House remains silent on the Older Americans Act. Next week when the Senate joins the House in a 5 or so week recess we will be urging our members to communicate with their House member to have them support S. 4776.

NANASP SUBMITS COMMENT FOR SENATE HELP COMMITTEE ON OAA DRAFT BILL 

On July 19, NANASP submitted their comment on an OAA draft bill to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. It repeats our support for maintaining Title III-C as it is but with more flexibilities. READ MORE

NANASP AND MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA CONDEMN FUNDING CUTS TO SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAMS PASSED BY THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

House Appropriations Committee passes Labor-HHS-Education funding bill for Fiscal Year 2025 cutting funding for Meals on Wheels programs, greatly exacerbating the $8 million cut local programs received this April. 

July 12, 2024 – NANASP Executive Director Bob Blancato and Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander and today issued the following statement:

As leaders of the nationwide network of more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs and the millions of older Americans they serve, we are distressed that the House Appropriations Committee passed a Labor-HHS-Education funding bill with substantial cuts to the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Programs. The bill includes a devastating $37 million cut for Home-Delivered and Congregate nutrition programs. This adds insult to injury, coming on the heels of an $8 million cut to these programs in April.  READ MORE

CMS ADMINISTRATOR CHIQUITA BROOKS-LASURE SENDS LETTER TO NANASP

NANASP is pleased to share a response from CMS regarding NANASP's April 8 letter urging CMS to continue to protect free vaccine access for older adults. We received this response from Administrator Brooks-LaSure over the July 4th holiday. Specifically, we are encouraged to hear from CMS that they are "committed to robust oversight to ensure that Medicare Advantage organizations comply with new requirements that provide access to recommended vaccines and minimize impediments to care." READ THE LETTER HERE

NANASP STATEMENT ON CDC ADVISORY PANEL RECOMMENDATION ON RSV VACCINATIONS

The National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP) issued the following statement from Executive Director Bob Blancato: “We view yesterday’s decision by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as a positive step especially for those older adults age 75+ who now have full access to the RSV vaccine. As it relates to those age 60-74, while we appreciate that the committee is working to reach those most vulnerable to serious illness from RSV within that age group, we have concerns that confusion will still exist around who is considered “at risk of severe illness” and eligible to receive the vaccine. Unless the CDC mounts a strong education and awareness campaign to provide clear direction for providers and for patients, it may still leave these older adults unprotected.”

NANASP Letter 6/21/24 to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

We the undersigned organizations representing older adults, consumers, professionals who work in aging and patients are writing to urge the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to reconsider its recommendation requiring shared clinical decision making for adults aged 60 and over to receive an RSV vaccine.

As we have stated in earlier comments, shared clinical decision making poses an unnecessary obstacle for older adults who wish to receive the new RSV vaccine. This has the inevitable and unfortunate impact of lowering vaccine uptake rates among a population particularly vulnerable to that virus. Data show that the burden of disease which RSV imposes on older Americans has not lowered. Each year, (RSV) causes approximately 60,000–160,000 hospitalizations and 6,000–10,000 deaths annually among adults 65 years and older.  READ MORE

NANASP remembers the late David Pryor of Arkansas. NANASP Executive Director, Bob Blancato, notes, "He was a champion for older adults.  I especially recall his outstanding leadership as Chair of the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. He cared and he made a difference."

NANASP Letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - April 2024

As Executive Director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP), along with the undersigned groups below write to commend you and CMS for taking a proactive stance with your communication to members of the insurance industry on December 14th of last year. We are writing on behalf of millions of older Americans as well as patients from across the country to advance policies that support their well-being of and advocate for removing barriers that impede it. You raised concerns about certain practices by some plans and pharmacy benefit managers that threaten the viability of pharmacies, impede access to care and put increased burden on health care providers. We most certainly share your concerns. READ MORE

NANASP AND MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA ALARMED BY

FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS TO SENIOR NUTRITION PROGRAMS 

March 26, 2024 

Final federal funding bill for Fiscal Year 2024 cuts $8 million from senior nutrition programs, representing a worst-case scenario for local programs that already lack adequate funding to meet growing need.

NANASP AND MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA FEATURED IN THE HILL

On January 20, The Hill published NANASP's Bob Blancato and Meals on Wheels America's Ellie Hollander joint op-ed, Senior hunger takes no holiday — Congress must invest more in Older Americans Act Nutrition Program, calling for congressional responsibility and urgency to fund the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program at $1.284 billion. We also urge the president to include the OAA Nutrition Program in any supplemental funding request. Read the full op-ed on The Hill here.