Although it happened this past May, the IMPACT Committee Report on Year Two of California's Master Plan for Aging (MPA) hints at what might be possible for other states that have not yet begun a Master Plan for Aging.
Here are just a few report highlights:
Nearly 1,000 people came to the CA for All Ages and Abilities Day of Action in September 2022. The event was a crucial organizing opportunity for the next few years of MPA implementation.
Seventy-four local mayors or county supervisors and their jurisdictions demonstrated support for MPA goals during this reporting period.
The state has made healthcare more affordable by expanding Medi-Cal coverage to more than 330,000 undocumented older adults and eliminating the asset test for older adults and people with disabilities who qualify for the program, which the state estimates will help almost 18,000 people upon full implementation in January 2024.
The state has increased the economic security of the poorest older adults by increasing the State Supplementary Payment (SSP) for people on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). There are more than 560,000 older adults receiving SSI in California.
The state has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in new housing opportunities through the Community Care Expansion program, and the state has expanded funding for a number of aging services.
The 2023–24 year of implementation will focus on building a home care system that works for Californians; ending older adult homelessness in California; and using the MPA to advance equity in aging.
We have a lot of faith in the people behind California's Master Plan for Aging and we are thrilled to be working with them to get the word out to spur interest in states not yet engaged in this critical process.
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Alison Biggar
Senior Editor
American Society on Aging
San Francisco CA
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