New research published in Health Affairs identifies six policy priorities for improving the quality and equity of health care for the diverse, growing cohort of older adults in the United States. The first set of policy recommendations center around creating a capable health care workforce through additional training for current care workers and scholarships, loan forgiveness, and internship opportunities for emerging professionals. Next, authors recommend that Congress consider healthy aging as a critical component of public health efforts through the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and state and local health agencies. A detailed set of recommendations on remediating health disparities, expanding end-of-life care, balancing care delivery approaches including telehealth, and reforming long-term service and support structures are also included.
