2025 Budget Advocacy
Pennsylvania's Older Adults Need Your Help!
Our older neighbors are a big part of our communities. One out of every four people in Pennsylvania is an older adult of age 60 or more. Many older adults help pay taxes and create jobs. But some can’t and the state budget did not include the necessary increase of $15.2 million to fund important services to help keep older adults out of hospitals and nursing homes.
We need to tell our lawmakers and the Governor that we believe these services are critical to support older adults in our communities and to avoid nursing homes for as long as possible.
**After discussions with the Governor’s Office, Senate and House leaders, P4A has learned that a funding mechanism to AAAs this fall is not feasible. The legislature and Governor will not reopen the budget and pass it with the limited legislative calendar days left in this session.
We have been assured that the legislature and Governor’s office have heard your voices and we have been told to continue our advocacy efforts with a focus on the 2025/26 budget.
P4A is currently developing our budget request for the 2025/26 fiscal year. Once the P4A board votes to approve that budget request we will update this page with more details and resources. Thank you for your support!
Here's what you can do:
- Write a letter: Tell your lawmaker and the Governor why it's important to help older adults.
- Call your lawmaker: Talk to them directly about the issue.
- Meet with your lawmaker: Explain your concerns in person.
- Write to your local newspaper: Share your opinion with others in your community.
- Attend public government meetings: Share your concerns with your local officials.
What to say (Talking Points):
- Ask for transparency: Make sure lawmakers know about the budget for older adults by including the Department of Aging’s proposed budget line-item appropriations in the “tracking document” lawmakers use during budget negotiations and before voting. It compares this year’s appropriations with the proposed appropriations for next year. This information should be publicly available for all to see.
- Support an increase to the "PENNCARE" appropriation: The PENNCARE appropriation funds services in communities for older adults.
Resources:
- Who is my legislator? Click here.
- Sample letter to legislators: Coming soon!
- Sample letter to the editor: Coming Soon!
- Links to news articles and letters to the editor
- Coming Soon!