Senior Action Week and Older Michiganian's Day
SENIOR ACTION WEEK: MAY 11 - MAY 15, 2026
OLDER MICHIGANIANS DAY: MAY 13, 2026
This advocacy event will spotlight four critical areas of senior services for the state of Michigan including:
1. Rebalance State Medicaid Expenditures to Support Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
Michigan ranks near the bottom in the proportion of taxpayer dollars spent by states to provide long-term care through home and community-based services (HCBS) versus institutional care. In Michigan during Fiscal Year 2023, only 30% of LTSS funding was allocated to HCBS while 70% went to institutional settings – far below the national average of 53% of LTSS funding going towards HCBS. Supporting access to MI Choice would bring Michigan more in line with most states in allocating at least half of LTSS funding to HCBS.
Federal H.R.1 contains a waiver option for states to expand HCBS, which would extend Medicaid HCBS to individuals without requiring an institutional level of care (ILOC). This would build on the strengths of the MI Choice program and expand access to beneficiaries statewide. Expansion of MI Choice eligibility would allow earlier, more targeted HCBS to individuals who have not yet reached an ILOC threshold, preventing a more costly nursing home admission. This would ultimately help to rebalance Medicaid long-term care expenditures by increasing Medicaid support towards HCBS.
ACTION: Urge the legislature to bring equity between HCBS and institutional care by rebalancing Medicaid LTSS funding to at least the national average of 53%. ACTION: Urge legislative support for expanding access to HCBS for Medicaid beneficiaries not requiring an institutional level of care, authorized by H.R.1 (Public Law 119-21, Section 71121)
2. INCREASE ACCESS TO HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES
In Michigan, there are currently 6,635 seniors on waiting lists for essential non-Medicaid inhome services provided through Michigan’s Bureau of Aging, Community Living, and Supports (ACLS Bureau) in Aging Services. These funded services include home-delivered meals, in-home personal care, homemaking, and respite care. These services delay or prevent the need for more costly long-term care intervention, and individuals who remain on waiting lists are found to be 5 times more likely to be forced into an institutional setting prematurely.
ACTION: Support the Silver Key Coalition's request for a $8 million increase for Aging in-home services in the MDHHS FY 2027 budget.
ACTION: Support the Silver Key Coalition's request for a $2 million increase for Aging home-delivered meals in the MDHHS FY 2027 budget.
3. Modernize and Enhance Access to MI Choice
MI Choice is an in-home service program that enables close to 16,000 Medicaid-eligible seniors and adults with a disability who meet eligibility requirements to receive Long-term Services and Supports (LTSS) in their home rather than a nursing facility. Most older adults (88%) want to age in their homes and communities, and MI Choice makes that possible. MI Choice is also 62% less expensive than a Medicaid nursing facility. MI Choice supports individuals by providing an extensive array of person-centered, in-home services and supports, including assistance with activities of daily living, nursing services, home-delivered meals, home modifications, respite care, transportation, adult day care, and more. As the state plans for the future of the Medicaid program, MI Choice must be modernized and expanded to continue to serve residents.
ACTION: Urge the legislature to modernize and enhance MI Choice by continuing to support and grow MI Choice accessibility statewide. ACTION: Continue to support MI Choice as an important statewide option in the Long-Term Supports and Services Continuum of Care.
4. Support Unpaid Family and Informal Caregivers
Unpaid family and informal caregivers provide essential care to older adults and loved ones. It is estimated that 1.73 million Michiganians provide an estimated 1.1 billion hours of voluntary care worth approximately $19.6 billion per year and are the largest source of longterm services and supports in the country. With the continuing direct care workforce shortage, support for unpaid caregivers is even more important to assist older adults in their homes. Without continued family and friend-provided help, the cost to Michigan’s health and Long-Term Services and Supports systems will skyrocket.
ACTION: Urge the legislature to support a permanent $5 million to expand AAA caregiver support programs, providing respite, education, and resources to sustain the unpaid workforce that underpins Michigan’s long-term care system.
ACTION: Urge the Legislature to pass bipartisan House Bill 5214, to provide financial relief to unpaid family caregivers through a state income tax credit of up to $2,000 per year.
LETTER CAMPAIGN
A letter campaign during Senior Action Week last year helped preserve vital senior services in the FY2027 budget, so we are asking for your help again this year. Simply sign and print your name as well as your city and zip code and mail the completed form to (Laurie Sauer at 2569 US 23 South, Alpena, MI 49707). Feel free to add any additional comments, or a personal story, that you feel our elected officials should know on the back of this page. Comments are welcomed, but not required.
Please have the letters returned by May 1, 2026.Thank you for taking the time to help. If you have any questions, please call Laurie Sauer at 989-358-4663 or email us at aging@nemcsa.org