News and resources tailored to our senior services community, including relevant reports, educational opportunities, policy updates and more.
From the Ground Up: Using Rural Voices to Build Better Policy for Aging Americans
Monday, April 13, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET (Virtual)
In partnership with The SCAN Foundation and Public Policy Lab, we are building out our Lived Voices platform to ensure policymakers and partners hear directly from older adults navigating Medicare and Medicaid as they work to meet health-related social needs, including housing, food, and transportation. As the Rural Health Transformation Fund continues to take shape across states, this presents an important opportunity to leverage new policy recommendations, improve access to care, and elevate the essential role your organizations play in rural communities.
What you’ll gain:
Practical strategies to lift up the voices of residents and communities—empowering older adults to share their experiences alongside providers to inform and influence policy especially as state decisions are made through the Rural Health Transformation Fund.
Insights you can use to strengthen storytelling within your organization, including how to communicate the opportunities to improve navigation of Medicare and Medicaid together in order to better support older adults in rural areas.
Connect over Breakfast at LeadingAge Leadership Summit
Heading to Washington, D.C. for the LeadingAge Leadership Summit? Join us for our breakfast on April 20 to connect with fellow Lutheran Services in America senior services leaders at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
The breakfast is a great way to connect—and reconnect—with other leaders from across the Lutheran Services in America network. Please share this invitation with everyone from your team to your board. The more the merrier! To ensure we have enough seating, please contact Ashley Washington.
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GOP Continues Push for Second Budget Reconciliation Bill
Another Attempt at Reconciliation House and Senate Republicans continue to weigh a second budget reconciliation package as a way to advance stalled priorities without Democratic votes. Following recent White House discussions with President Trump, GOP leaders have indicated renewed interest in using reconciliation to move additional defense funding, potentially DHS funding, and select conservative priorities. House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R‑TX) and Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R‑SC) have both expressed willingness to proceed, with leaders reportedly eyeing late April to move budget resolutions — the procedural first step.
Offsets and “Fraud Prevention” As before, Arrington and other conservatives are emphasizing the need for offsets, framing potential savings around “fraud prevention” in federal safety‑net programs, including Medicaid. That approach echoes earlier efforts to revive additional Medicaid cuts that were ultimately dropped from last year’s GOP megabill and is raising concern among advocates as Republicans search for ways to pay for a new package.
Internal Divisions Remain Despite leadership interest, significant divisions persist within the GOP. Fiscal hawks are demanding strict offsets, while moderates and Senators facing competitive reelection fights have questioned whether another party‑line bill is politically or procedurally viable. With a razor‑thin House majority, skepticism from several Senate Republicans, and reconciliation rules likely to exclude many policy proposals, the path forward remains uncertain.
Why it matters for Medicaid: Any reconciliation effort is likely to put Medicaid back on the table as Republicans look for large, politically contentious offsets under the banner of “anti‑fraud” savings.
CAPITOL CONVERSATIONS SERIES
The Next Phase of “Here We Stand for Medicaid”
Thursday, April 16, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET
We continue our discussion on the evolving Medicaid landscape. Check back soon for details. Register today!
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Ziegler is one of the nation’s leading underwriters of financing for not-for-profit senior living & care providers. Ziegler offers creative, tailored solutions to its senior living clients, including investment banking, financial risk management, merger and acquisition services, seed capital, FHA/HUD, capital and strategic planning, sponsorship transitions, as well as senior living research, education and communication. Interested in learning more? Visit or contact Katelyn McCauley, Vice President and Head of Senior Living Research.
We gratefully acknowledge our partners for their contributions.
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