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New York (April 25, 2017)—“I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it’s more than that,” extolled John Steinbeck in his now famous Travels with Charley. The same might also be said for geriatrics in the heart of Texas, as the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) prepares to bring the field’s premier educational forum for clinical care, research on aging, and innovative care delivery to San Antonio, Texas (May 18-20; Preconference: May 17), to toast the Society’s 75th anniversary of leading change and improving care for older adults.

More than 2,500 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, social workers, long-term and managed care providers, healthcare administrators, students, and other geriatrics stakeholders will come together for a program built from more than 800 abstract submissions and inclusive of more than 100 events.

“This is a special year for the Annual Scientific Meeting since it’s the AGS’s 75th anniversary,” notes Paul Mulhausen, MD, MHS, FACP, AGSF, Program Chair. “This meeting will be a celebration not only of how far we’ve come in the field, but also of the research and innovations that will drive our future—the best care possible for older adults.”

Noteworthy focal points for the 2017 gathering include:

Goals-Oriented Care for Older Adults in Specialty Clinics (Thurs., May 18; 7:30-9am Central Time)

New York (April 25, 2017)—Potentially inappropriate medications, the future of Advance Care Planning (ACP), and improved emergency care for older adults are among headline presentations anchoring the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17), to be held May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas.

Presentations at the prestigious Plenary Paper Session at #AGS17 (May 18 from 10-11am Central Time) represent some of geriatrics’ most promising scholarship as assessed by peer experts and program planners from a pool of more than 800 abstract submissions. This year’s highlights include:

D-PRESCRIBE Overtakes EMPOWER in Patient-Centered Deprescribing of Benzodiazepines: Preliminary Results from a Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Community-Based Trial in Canada (presented by Phillipe Martin, MSc)

New legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act concerning for us all as we age.

New York (April 27, 2017)—Following a review of the recently released MacArthur Amendment to the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) remains opposed to this legislation that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and which AGS experts believe would harm access to key health services for older adults, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

The MacArthur Amendment creates additional concerns for older Americans—particularly people in states that might pursue waivers  from current protections benefitting individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as provisions requiring benefits and restricting carriers from charging more based on a person’s health background. The Amendment also would allow states to waive essential health benefits defined under the ACA—emergency-room visits, outpatient services including home health services and hospice care, and care for chronic conditions and rehabilitative services, for example. Nothing in the Amendment remedies any of the AGS’s concerns with the original legislation.

New York (April 27, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the AGS Health in Aging Foundation today announced that Sei Lee, MD, MAS, Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), will be honored with the 2017 Thomas and Catherine Yoshikawa Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement in Clinical Investigation. A Senior Scholar with the San Francisco VA Quality Scholars fellowship and rising research leader in targeting health care for older adults, Dr. Lee will deliver a plenary presentation on individualizing preventive care for older men and women at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas).

“Dr. Lee is a skilled clinician and recognized scholar—a model for the multifaceted leadership we hope to inspire at the AGS,” notes AGS President Ellen Flaherty, PhD, APRN, AGSF. “The future of geriatrics is rooted in providing high-quality, person-centered care for us all as we age; it’s an exciting time to hear about the state of individualized care from an authority like Dr. Lee.”

New York (April 27, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) announced that Richard M. Allman, MD, Chief Consultant for Geriatrics & Extended Care Services, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will deliver the prestigious Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (May 18-20; San Antonio, Texas). Dr. Allman’s lecture, “Building, Sustaining, and Promoting Age-Friendly Health Systems,” will focus on the role of leadership, research, education, and quality improvement in developing and maintaining better systems for older adult care.

“The VA has played such a critical role in advancing geriatrics care and research for those who have served our country, and Dr. Allman has been integral to that legacy,” notes AGS President Ellen Flaherty, PhD, APRN, AGSF. “As we work to shape the context of care for all older adults, exploring how better health outcomes are tied to better health systems has never been more important—which is why we so value Dr. Allman’s expertise.”

New York (April 27, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today announced that Maura Brennan, MD, AGSF, FACP, FAAHPM, HMDC, a champion of education in geriatrics and Chief in the Division of Geriatrics, Palliative Care, and Post-Acute Medicine at Baystate Health in Springfield, Mass., will be honored with the 2017 Dennis W. Jahnigen Award.

“Dr. Brennan has helped countless students and fellow educators bridge empathy for older adults with an interest in geriatrics in the classroom, where the future of our field is taking shape,” notes AGS President Ellen Flaherty, PhD, APRN, AGSF. “By inspiring interest in geriatrics across the diverse professions involved in well-being, Dr. Brennan has become a model for the critical role education plays in high-quality, person-centered care.”

New York (April 27, 2017)—Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, AGSF, a Past President of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and a pillar for geriatrics research, education, and clinical practice, will be honored by her AGS peers this May with one of their highest accolades: the David H. Solomon Public Service Award.

“Dr. Resnick has set the gold standard for public service in caring for older adults,” notes AGS President Ellen Flaherty, PhD, APRN, AGSF. “Her research interests in healthy aging have branched across her career to embrace mentoring for established and emerging colleagues and the care we all hope to receive as we age.”

The Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, Dr. Resnick has achieved national and international renown for her research on exercise and mobility. Yet Dr. Resnick is perhaps most well-known as a mentor to countless students, faculty members, researchers, and clinicians who now form the base for the burgeoning healthcare professional workforce attuned to the needs of older adults.

New York (April 27, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has named Fatima Sheikh, MD, CMD, MPH, Medical Director at FutureCare in Maryland and Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the 2017 AGS Clinician of the Year. In her work across post-acute and long-term care, Dr. Sheikh is recognized not only as a skilled physician serving the needs of particularly frail older adults in the Baltimore area but also as a dedicated mentor for a diverse and growing interprofessional team. Dr. Sheikh will be honored at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas).

“Geriatrics expertise is complex and multifaceted, and that’s especially true when working with frail older adults like those cared for by Dr. Sheikh,” notes AGS President Ellen Flaherty, PhD, APRN, AGSF. “Dr. Sheikh and the healthcare professionals fortunate enough to learn from her are setting a new standard for what it means to provide high-quality, person-centered care.”

New York (April 27, 2017)—Celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary in 2017, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) announced that it will honor more than 15 leading researchers, clinicians, educators, and emerging health professionals who have made outstanding contributions to high-quality, person-centered care for older adults. Awards will be presented at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting, May 18-20, 2017 (pre-conference program on May 17), at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Choosing Wisely® Champion Award

• Eric Anthony Lee, MD

Clinician of the Year Award

• Fatima Sheikh, MD, CMD, MPH

Clinical Student Research Award

• Laura Hatchman
• Jessica Rizzuto

David H. Solomon Memorial Public Service Award

• Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, AGSF

Dennis W. Jahnigen Memorial Award

• Maura Brennan, MD, AGSF, FACP, FAAHPM, HMDC

Edward Henderson Award

• Richard M. Allman, MD

Edward Henderson Student Award

• Thom Ringer, JD, MPhil

Jeffrey H. Silverstein Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in the Surgical and Related Medical Specialties

• Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS

New Investigator Award

New York (May 4, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) remains opposed to the amended American Health Care Act (AHCA) that today passed the U.S. House of Representatives despite serious concerns from geriatrics experts and a host of other stakeholders across health care. This legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would harm access to key health services for older adults, caregivers, and healthcare professionals—which is why the AGS now urges the U.S. Senate to oppose the bill in its current form. 

“The present proposal would still increase costs, reduce coverage, and cut benefits, putting health, independence, and quality of life at risk for all of us as we age,” reiterated Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “We are committed to working with Congress and the Trump Administration on meaningful reforms, but we continue to oppose changes that might jeopardize access to high-quality, person-centered, and affordable health coverage for all older Americans.” 

The AGS has previously voiced opposition to several iterations of the AHCA. AGS experts noted that any health reform legislation would need to: 

New York (May 11, 2017)—As part of their shared commitment to bringing the knowledge and expertise of geriatrics to fellow healthcare professionals and the public, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the AGS Health in Aging Foundation this week congratulated two distinguished scholars who are the first recipients of the Thomas and Catherine Yoshikawa Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement in Clinical Investigation and the Jeffrey H. Silverstein Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in the Surgical and Related Medical Specialties. The awards will be presented to Sei Lee, MD, MAS, a geriatrician, and Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, a urologist, respectively, at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17) in San Antonio, Texas, May 18-20.

San Antonio, Texas (May 18, 2017)—As the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today celebrates its 75 year history improving care for older adults, Past AGS President and veteran geriatrics researcher James T. Pacala, MD, MS, AGSF, will highlight where geriatrics has been and where it has yet to go in a special 75th Anniversary Lecture at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place this week in San Antonio, Texas. Delivered from 11am to 12pm CT at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Dr. Pacala’s presentation will address past advances in the care of older adults that have contributed significantly to our increased longevity as a nation.

Professor and Associated Head, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Pacala has performed research and published extensively on models of care for older adults and on innovative teaching methods for training future healthcare professionals. Dr. Pacala is a Past President and Board Chair of the AGS, and has co-authored several of the Society’s most influential texts—most notably early editions of its annual reference handbook, Geriatrics At Your Fingertips. What brings Dr. Pacala to the #AGS17 podium today, however, is his prowess as an AGS and geriatrics historian.

Honoring the AGS’s 75-year legacy serving older adults, incoming AGS President Dr. Debra Saliba has vowed to champion collaboration, clinical excellence, and crafting high-quality care for us all as we age.

• Dr. Debra Saliba—#geriatrics clinician, researcher—to open one of #geriatrics’ largest research conferences: #AGS17 (5/18-5/20) http://ow.ly/EVQ130bFSYA

San Antonio, Texas (May 15, 2017)—As more than 2,500 geriatrics experts converge on San Antonio, Texas, for the 2017 American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17), the AGS’s 75-year legacy in research, clinical practice, and public policy will be reflected in the expertise of its newest president: Debra Saliba, MD, MPH, AGSF, a seasoned geriatrician and recognized health services researcher. An AGS member since 1994 and an AGS Board representative since 2010, Dr. Saliba will begin her tenure as AGS President outlining a sustained commitment to an age-integrated society as she opens #AGS17, which begins May 18.

New York (May 15, 2017)—The Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) this week welcomed its newest President, Susan Parks, MD, at a meeting of the organization coinciding with the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, Texas (May 18-20). Associate Professor and Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia, Dr. Parks will now lead one of the nation’s only organizations committed to advancing academic geriatrics programs promoting older adult care, research on aging, and geriatrics education at accredited medical schools across the U.S.

“Dr. Parks has long been recognized as an innovative leader in geriatrics education,” observed Sharon Brangman, MD, AGSF, incoming ADGAP Board Chair and Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Division Chief, Geriatrics, University Geriatrics, and the Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease at Upstate University Hospital in New York. “Dr. Parks’s approach to geriatrics education has been a model for fellow educators, and now she will help ADGAP model the way toward a future when more students embrace geriatrics as a rewarding and much-needed vocation in health care.” 

New York (May 23, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) voiced deep concern for proposed cuts to geriatrics health professions programs (which would be eliminated), healthcare research, Medicaid, and a range of services benefitting us all as we age—all cuts outlined by President Trump in his full budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, which begins on October 1, 2017.

Released today in follow-up to the President’s “skinny budget” blueprint, which also saw serious opposition from the AGS and geriatrics leaders when unveiled earlier this year, today’s more extensive budget recommendation poses serious challenges for older adult well-being:

New York (June 2, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has honored 18 leading healthcare professionals who joined the newest class of AGS Fellows—a select group of experts recognized for their deep commitment to the AGS and to advancing high-quality, person-centered care for us all as we age.

“AGS Fellows join some of the foremost professionals in our field,” noted Debra Saliba, MD, MPH, AGSF, President of the AGS, in recognizing the new AGS Fellows at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17; May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas). “We are celebrating their accomplishments not only as individuals but also as members of the larger geriatrics community represented by the AGS.”

This year’s fellows hail from all four corners of the country and reflect the increasingly interprofessional nature of geriatrics as a field attracting doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physicians assistants, social workers, and many others. They include:

June 20, 2017 (New York)—Though it is one of the most frequently used health indicators as more and more of us age, frailty—the medical term for increased vulnerability to declines in health or a loss of independence—remains under-studied and under-utilized, so say researchers reporting on a prestigious conference hosted by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), with support from the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) and The John A. Hartford Foundation. Conference findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, are poised to advance not only a consensus definition for frailty but also our understanding of its biology, assessment, and role in improving care across several specialties, from cardiology and geriatrics to behavioral and social sciences.

Convened in 2015 for recipients of the NIA’s Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists Transition into Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program, the NIA “U13” conference brought together more than 75 scholars, researchers, leaders in the fields of aging and frailty, and NIA representatives to present and further stimulate research on frailty, particularly across the array of disciplines involved in the high-quality, person-centered care we all will need as we age.

Newest proposal in a line of legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act will harm access to key health services for older Americans, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, statement from AGS

New York (June 22, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) opposes the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). Released today, the Senate proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mirrors many provisions of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill which narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 4 despite serious concerns voiced by the AGS and many other stakeholders. Like the AHCA, the new Senate proposal would drastically cut Medicaid funding—an important source of support for most vulnerable citizens, particularly older Americans who rely on this program for long-term care services and supports.

As an advocate for older Americans and the health professionals who serve them, the AGS is deeply concerned that the Senate will be voting on a legislative proposal that has had no Committee hearings and has not been open to the public or stakeholder organizations for review and comment.

Newest proposal in a line of legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act will harm access to key health services for older Americans, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, statement from AGS

June 22, 2017 (New York)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) opposes the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). Released today, the Senate proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mirrors many provisions of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill which narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 4 despite serious concerns voiced by the AGS and many other stakeholders. Like the AHCA, the new Senate proposal would drastically cut Medicaid funding—an important source of support for most vulnerable citizens, particularly older Americans who rely on this program for long-term care services and supports.

As an advocate for older Americans and the health professionals who serve them, the AGS is deeply concerned that the Senate will be voting on a legislative proposal that has had no Committee hearings and has not been open to the public or stakeholder organizations for review and comment.

New York (July 24, 2017)—With the U.S. Senate continuing to move forward with plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) calls on Congressional leaders to work across the aisle and with stakeholders to develop policy proposals that will support the health and well-being of all Americans.

“Each of the proposed bills presently under consideration calls for drastic cuts to Medicaid, the largest public payer for long-term care services and supports for older Americans. These cuts would negatively impact older Americans and those who care for them," notes AGS CEO Nancy Lundebjerg, MPA. “AGS remains opposed to the current slate of policy proposals.”

Like many other organizations, the AGS believes that Congress must invite stakeholder input, hold public hearings, and provide ample opportunity for feedback from the American public regarding policy proposals that will build on the gains made under the ACA. Any replacement plan should reduce regulatory burdens that detract from care and increase costs. It remains particularly important that proposed reforms:

New York (August 7, 2017)—With renewed calls for bipartisan collaboration supporting high-quality, person-centered, and affordable health coverage for us all as we age, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today reached out to leaders from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to reinforce core priorities "that matter to the millions of older adults and caregivers who we serve in the clinic—and who you serve in Congress."

New York (Sept. 11, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today offered a ringing endorsement of the Geriatrics Workforce and Caregiver Enhancement Act (H.R. 3713), a proposal for programs addressing the shortage of health professionals equipped to care for us all as we age, as well as supports for older adults, caregivers, and the interdisciplinary teams responsible for delivering high-quality care. Introduced by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), and David McKinley (R-W.V.), the bill draws on considerable insights from the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), a collaborative comprised of more than 30 member organizations co-convened by the AGS and now reflecting the diverse expertise of millions of professionals who support health in aging for older Americans.

“The future we’re working for at the AGS—a future where all older Americans have access to high-quality, person-centered care—begins by building the workforce to make it possible—and by ensuring that workforce can connect us to the tools and supports we need as we age,” notes AGS Chief Executive Officer Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA. “We commend Reps. Schakowsky, Matsui, and McKinley for working with us and our partners to make that future a reality with the Geriatrics Workforce and Caregiver Enhancement Act.”

Initiative promoting innovation and shared learnings supported by $3 million grant from  The John A. Hartford Foundation and Gary and Mary West Health Institute

New York (Sept. 13, 2017)—Four national medical societies and nine leading health systems announced today they have established a new national geriatric emergency department collaborative (GEDC) to help improve emergency care for our nation’s older adults.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) will work with a team of experts in geriatric emergency care to support health systems across the United States in identifying, studying and sharing best practices in emergency care for seniors, with about half of all older adults visiting the emergency department each year.

Graham-Cassidy bill - newest proposal in a line of legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act will harm access to key health services for older Americans, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

New York (Sept. 20, 2017)— The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) opposes the Graham-Cassidy bill, the most recent attempt at health reform and one that would again have harmful consequences for older adults. Released last week, the Graham-Cassidy bill would cut benefits, increase costs, and reduce coverage for too many Americans – especially older adults.

“The Graham-Cassidy bill will have a negative impact on us all as we age,” notes Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “The bill will make drastic changes to Medicaid resulting in deep cuts that will impact older adults’ access to long-term care, including nursing home care and home health care. We call on Congress to work with the American public and stakeholders to design health system reforms that improve access and care quality for all Americans.”

As an advocate for older Americans and the health professionals who serve them, the AGS is deeply concerned that the Senate will be voting on a legislative proposal that has not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and has not been open to the public or stakeholder organizations for review and comment.

About the American Geriatrics Society

New York (Oct. 13, 2017)—Presidential action to alter current law risks undermining progress made by Congress, the American people, and a cadre of healthcare stakeholders to improve care access, care quality, and care costs for us all as we age, so say experts at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) evaluating recent orders by the Trump Administration. The actions in question—one announcing non-specific priorities to increase competition and another terminating cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) serving Americans in poverty—take aim at the Affordable Care Act (ACA) following several flawed unilateral attempts to repeal or replace the law.

“In bypassing Congress and bipartisan collaboration, these executive actions cut the American people out of the health reform process while also effectively jeopardizing benefits, increasing costs, and reducing coverage for too many of us,” said Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “We continue to offer our support and expertise to the many bipartisan legislators and experts working across the aisle on proposals that would give us all the opportunity to make open, informed decisions about a better health system.”

The AGS expresses concern on eve of a House vote on a tax reform bill, which could impact care for us all as we age.

New York (Nov. 16, 2017)—Earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) advised members of Congress that the U.S. House of Representative’s tax reform bill (the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” or H.R. 1) would result in automatic cuts to key federal programs, including a $25 billion cut to the Medicare program in 2018 as a result of existing Congressional “pay-go” rules. Pay-go rules require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make automatic cuts to mandatory spending when the deficit hits a certain level. With 55 million people already relying on Medicare for their well-being, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) opposes any legislative proposal that would reduce access to Medicare for us all as we age.

While debate continues in the House, the U.S. Senate is also working on its own version of a tax reform bill (also known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” as is H.R. 1 in the House of Representatives). Both the House and Senate proposals are projected to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over 10 years—and, under pay-go rules, the proposed deficit spending would trigger automatic cuts of $136 billion from mandatory spending programs in 2018. 

The answer lies not only in prioritizing under-researched yet increasingly prevalent conditions like urinary incontinence but also in addressing such concerns in the broader context of high-quality and evidence-based health care for older adults.

New York (Dec. 4, 2017)—Nearly 40 percent of older women and up to 35 percent of older men live with distressing urinary symptoms, including difficulty with bladder control and urinating (sometimes known as “voiding”), which often compromise quality of life and overall health. The lack of truly effective and safe therapies for these challenges stems from insufficient knowledge of the biological mechanisms for urinary control, the impact of aging and disease on urinary control, and the relationships of symptoms to urinary health and overall well-being, so say researchers reporting on a prestigious conference hosted by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and funded by a grant from the National Institute of Aging (NIA) to George A. Kuchel, MD, FRCP, AGSF, Director of the UConn Center on Aging and Travelers Chair in Geriatrics and Gerontology at UConn Health.

A summary report published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society emphasizes that the conference—the third in a series on common geriatric syndromes like incontinence, delirium, and sleep disturbances—holds promise for pin-pointing gaps in knowledge and building a better research agenda to improve care for us all as we age.

Following passage of the Senate tax reform proposal, experts at the AGS continue to voice serious concerns about how the proposal could jeopardize care for us all as we age.

New York (Dec. 4, 2017)—Disappointed by Senate passage of a tax reform proposal that could curtail critical supports for older Americans and threaten important gains securing health coverage for more Americans, experts at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) continued to voice strong opposition to the bill and its impact on millions of older adults and caregivers.

“We remain deeply concerned about the impact of this flawed proposal—not only on federal programs important to older Americans but also on the availability of high-quality, person-centered, and affordable health care for us all as we age,” noted AGS Chief Executive Officer Nancy Lundebjerg, MPA. “We at the AGS will continue to work tirelessly for solutions that can improve health, independence, and quality of life for all older Americans—despite the absence of these goals in the present proposal.”

With Congressional vote expected early next week, experts at AGS continue to voice concerns about how tax reform bill lacked transparency in development and could jeopardize care for us all as we age.

New York (Dec. 15, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) continues to voice strong opposition to the Tax Cuts and Job Acts, the tax reform bill that could jeopardize care for millions of older adults and caregivers if it passes a Congressional vote planned for early next week. Since developing their own plans earlier this fall, House and Senate leaders have been working to reconcile independent versions of their proposals, neither of which have been open to considerable public comment or scrutiny. While it remains unclear what will be included in the final tax reform proposal, the AGS remains concerned that several flawed proposals under serious consideration could curtail supports for millions of older Americans and threaten important gains securing health coverage for us all, according to independent analyses.

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