GSA Applauds Aging-Related Initiatives Highlighted in SOTU

Following President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union (SOTU) Address, The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is commending his administration’s commitment to several initiatives that will contribute to meaningful lives as we age.

GSA supports continued efforts to promote access to life-saving therapies and treatments. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare beneficiaries now have access to Part D vaccines, such as shingles and pertussis, at no cost. And thanks to executive action, the Food and Drug Administration has enabled 30 million hearing impaired Americans to buy affordable hearing aids without a prescription.  

And as an organization dedicated to research and education to inform practice and policy in aging, GSA supports the establishment of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to accelerate breakthroughs related to cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and diabetes, and other conditions.  As GSA imagines the opportunities to catalyze new approaches to solve the vexing challenges of today, it draws attention to the intersection of aging and chronic disease. ARPA-H should embrace a geroscience approach, which will further understanding of how the aging process contributes to the many chronic diseases that accompany older ages.

Furthermore, GSA supports efforts to strengthen home and community-based services for older people and people with disabilities, to support the direct care workforce and family caregivers, and to improve nursing home care. A new issue of GSA’s Public Policy & Aging Report focuses on specific recommendations from the 2022 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report titled “The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality” — and describes how relevant stakeholders can move those recommendations into action.

Finally, GSA supports the administration’s position on avoiding cuts to Medicare and Social Security. These programs provide support for older people and people with disabilities as well as family caregivers who so often are confronted by health, social engagement, and economic challenges. GSA will continue to work with the administration and all policy makers to advance evidence-based policies and practices that advance the well-being of all Americans.

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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society.