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TEMPLATE LANGUAGE FOR REP/SENATE OUTREACH RE: FY 2019 APPROPRIATIONSApril XX, 2018Honorable [REP/SEN NAME][U.S. House of Representatives/U.S. Senate] [Office Address]Washington, DC Dear [Representative/Senator NAME]:On behalf of [YOUR AGENCY NAME] in [AGENCY LOCATION/STATE], we are writing regarding the FY 2019 federal funding for Older Americans Act (OAA) and other aging programs within the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.[AGENCY NAME] is grateful for the FY 2018 increases provided to vital Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and services funded through the U.S. Administration on Aging and delivered locally by [AGENCY NAME] and our network of community providers. The increases to OAA Subtitles III B, C, D and E means that older adults will continue to receive in-home services, home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation, caregiver supports, evidence-based health and wellness programs and other essential services that enable them to maintain their health and independence for as long as possible. We hope you support the following requests as the FY 2019 appropriations process moves forward, and also will reach out to your [HOUSE/SENATE] colleagues who are working toward a final funding compromise:At a minimum, protect the funding boosts secured in 2018 for critical OAA programs and services. We also urge Congress to, where possible, provide additional funding increases for these programs, which will be an important next step to making up for years of stagnant and eroding federal and state funding. Specifically, we urge you to prioritize funding for OAA Titles III B Supportive Services, III E Family Caregiver Supports and VI Native American aging programs. We also ask that Congress continue to fully fund and increase allocations for the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIPs), [WHICH IS CALLED XX IN STATE]. Funding for all of these aging services is essential to the health and independence of millions of older adults and caregivers, including [ADD LOCAL STATISTIC] of the older adults and caregivers that [YOUR AGENCY NAME] serves locally. At [AGENCY NAME] we are committed to ensuring that every year [XXX NUMBER] of older adults and caregivers in [DISTRICT/COMMUNITY] —who are your constituents—are supported as they age with dignity, independence and health in their homes and communities. For example, OAA Title III B Supportive Services programs…[INSERT LOCAL EXAMPLES OF HOW TITLE III B SUPPORTS OLDER ADULTS—INCLUDE LOCAL DATA IF POSSIBLE ABOUT THE VALUE OF III B SUPPORTS]. The recent increase for OAA Title III B represents the first meaningful increase for these programs in nearly a decade, and we hope you will express your support for protecting and enhancing OAA Title III B funding in FY 2019. More information about how OAA Title III B Supportive Services programs help older adults and caregivers across the country is available in this brief one-pager from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. In [COMMUNITY] Medicare counseling services provided through the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or [INSERT LOCAL/STATE NAME FOR SHIP] assist [NUMBER] local seniors, many of who are often economically vulnerable, each year. [INSERT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW SHIP HELPS IN YOUR AREA/STATE…FOR EXAMPLE…Our agency administers the local SHIP program that provides free, unbiased and individual counseling on Medicare plans to XX NUMBER of seniors every year. We help seniors in XYZ COMMUNITY save $XXX and find the best Medicare options for them. These services cannot be done by other federal resources such as 1-800-Medicare, and without SHIP in XYZ COMMUNITY, many seniors on limited incomes could spend more for a Medicare plan that doesn’t meet their needs.] We hope you will encourage your colleagues to, at a minimum, protect the $49.1 million for SHIP programs in FY 2019, and to work toward increasing funds to $67 million to account for the growing population of Medicare beneficiaries. [IF YOU HAVE SPACE AND CAN SPEAK TO THE VALUE TITLE III E FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORTS AND/OR TITLE VI (if applicable), add more here.]In the four years of this Administration, nearly 15 million people will turn age 65. By 2030, 73 million—or one in five—people in America will be 65 or older. [INSERT ANY COMPELLING STATISTICS YOU HAVE ABOUT AGING TRENDS IN YOUR COMMUNITY]. With more Americans living longer, we should be investing in key Older Americans Act and other aging programs that keep seniors healthy and independent in their homes and communities, not cutting them! As Congress works to develop funding bills for FY 2019, it is essential that lawmakers recognize and make wise federal investments in programs that keep older adults in their homes and communities and that support caregivers. In the interest of the seniors that we serve and that you represent in [DISTRICT/STATE], we hope you will support, and urge your colleagues to support these key requests for critical OAA and other aging programs. Please feel free to reach out anytime to [INSERT CONTACT INFORMATION], on these or any aging issues of importance to you and your constituents.Sincerely, [NAME, affiliation, address, etc.] ................
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