The federal government has reopened following passage of a short-term spending package that ends the record shutdown and restores full agency operations. LeadingAge outlines the immediate implications for aging services in its shutdown update, including the return of program oversight functions and continuation of federal payment and regulatory activity. At the same time, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a significant shift in Continuum of Care funding that moves resources away from Permanent Supportive Housing units, a change expected to affect older adults who rely on stable, service-enriched housing.
Additional federal developments include an anticipated extension of telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled medications, signaled by a Drug Enforcement Administration final rule now under review at the Office of Management and Budget. More details are available in the DEA update. LeadingAge and the Post-Acute Care Coalition also submitted recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aimed at improving access and reducing administrative burden in Medicare Advantage prior authorization processes. The full recommendations are outlined in the joint PAC–LeadingAge submission.