The federal government remains shut down, with Congress still deadlocked on a short-term funding bill.
CMS Staff Return Amid Federal Shutdown: Staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are being called back to work—despite the ongoing federal government shutdown—to manage Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace and Medicare operations. With Medicare Open Enrollment running through December 7 and the ACA Marketplace opening November 1–January 15, 2026, the demand for support remains high. LeadingAge will continue to monitor developments and share updates on any operational impacts. To assist older adults during the enrollment period, members can access the members-only flyer, “Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: What You Need to Know,” in the Resource Library and visit Medicare Open Enrollment: Top 5 Things to Know from LeadingAge national.
Coalition Urges Congress to Halt Home Health Payment Cuts: In a coalition letter sent October 23, LeadingAge national and 21 state associations, along with the Alliance for Care at Home, called on congressional leaders to stop CMS from finalizing the proposed 2026 Medicare home health payment cuts and to address flaws in the payment system. The coalition emphasized the urgent need to preserve access to care for older adults and individuals with complex needs who rely on home health services.
Joint-Sector Advocacy Highlights Workforce Needs: The strength of collective advocacy was evident when sixteen LeadingAge representatives joined advocates from construction, hospitality, agriculture, and other sectors in Washington, D.C., October 21–23, to push for reforms to policies affecting foreign-born workers. The effort, led by LeadingAge’s Amanda Mead, director of workforce policy, underscored the importance of immigration reform in addressing national workforce shortages. Read more about the initiative in LeadingAge’s coverage of the joint-sector advocacy visit.
LeadingAge continues monitoring the shutdown through its serial page and the National Policy Pulse call each Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Please notify LeadingAge Ohio of any shutdown-related barriers so issues can be escalated to national partners.