Resendez urges Congress to fix Medicare and fund caregiver support

Jason Resendez, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging on Tuesday. He presented a three-part policy agenda designed to assist the more than 60 million Americans who provide unpaid care for an aging parent or loved one while managing jobs and families.

Resendez identified the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act as his top legislative priority. The law allocates funds to state Area Agencies on Aging, which deliver services like Meals on Wheels and caregiver support programs. Within this act, the National Family Caregiver Support Program provides about $200 million annually for respite care, training, and peer support. Resendez described that annual funding as a small fraction of the total need for these services.

A second pillar of the proposal involves creating a national paid family and medical leave program. Resendez noted that the United States remains one of the few industrialized nations without such a federal mandate. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have established their own paid leave programs in the absence of federal action. Virginia recently became the first southern state to adopt a similar policy. A national program would allow workers to provide care without leaving the workforce or sacrificing their income.

The third policy goal focuses on expanding the role of Medicare. Resendez argued that the program, created in 1965, needs to recognize and support family caregivers more effectively. He advocated for stronger access to caregiver training and improved in-home health benefits. The goal is to bring parity with Medicaid, which currently provides these supports to low-income families, and extend that level of assistance to households at all income levels.

When asked to prioritize the three policies if Congress could only pass one, Resendez selected Medicare reform. He stated that changes to Medicare would offer immediate support to families and modernize a program that has not kept pace with the changing needs of older adults. He said that extending in-home benefits and caregiver support to all income groups would transform the experience of aging in America.

Gerontologist Sam Cradduck, who joined Resendez for the discussion, asked for a concrete action step for different stakeholders over the next 30 days. For Congress, Resendez said the immediate task is to cast a vote to reauthorize the Older Americans Act. He called the issue extremely bipartisan and a clear path for policymakers to support caregivers.

For employers, Resendez recommended a simpler but less common step: asking employees directly if they have caregiving responsibilities. He observed that many companies do not systematically collect this data. Without knowing which employees are balancing work and caregiving, employers cannot design benefits that address those specific challenges.

The testimony took place as part of a broader dialogue on aging in the United States. Resendez emphasized that the proposed policies aim to help family caregivers provide care sustainably, with dignity, and with equity. The National Alliance for Caregiving will continue to push for these specific legislative changes as the committee reviews its recommendations.