Also outside of traditional OAA funds, a portion of $630 million in FY 2007 U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Community Services Block Grant (1) money, allocated for a variety of social services for low-income Americans of all ages, is designated for senior services. The money is available to the states, District of Columbia, territories and tribal organizations in accordance with populations living in poverty.
A larger federal block grant, the Social Services Block Grant (2) (aka Title XX of the Social Security Act, 1975), provides roughly $1.7 billion each year to states and territories based on population. The money is used, in large part, to promote economic self-sufficiency, reduce neglect and abuse of children and the elderly, and to prevent the unnecessary institutionalization of those able to live in more independent settings. Approximately 20 percent of the annual $1.7 billion is directed toward helping older and disabled persons.
Some states also supplement OAA funds with varying state and local allocations for specific programs, such as Alzheimer’s- and/or ombudsman-related services. And most states and area agencies on aging (69 percent, according to AoA) take in significant amounts (altogether over $250 million a year) in client cost-sharing and voluntary contributions (3) for a variety of OAA services (even though mandatory cost-sharing for many services is prohibited). Additionally, five states – Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, and North Dakota – bring in a combined $140 million a year in local senior-service property-tax levies (4). It is well worth noting that Ohio, which has brought in more senior-service levy funds than the rest of the states combined, has a better than 90 percent success rate with senior-service levies at its county ballot boxes.
And most area agencies also benefit from local dollars. County, city and other local government funds comprise 11 percent of the average area agency’s overall budget. Another five percent of area agency budgets come courtesy of charitable contributions from private groups and foundations (5).
Although there are still several states and area agencies that operate only with OAA funds, those federal, non-Medicaid and non-Medicare funds represent a decreasingly small fraction of the total aging-service allocations overseen by the majority of states and their area agencies on aging, mainly because of the steadily growing popularity and preference for home services funded through Medicaid-waiver programs.(1) U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Admin. For Children & Families: Community Services Block Grant: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/csbg/
(2) U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Admin. For Children & Families: Social Services Block Grant: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/ssbg/
(3) Older Americans Act: (Sec. 315) Consumer Contributions: www.aoa.gov/about/legbudg/oaa/Cost%20Sharing%20statute.doc.
(4) Locally Funded Services for Seniors: A Description of Levy Programs in Ohio: www.scripps.muohio.edu/research/publications/documents/LocallyFundedServicesforSeniors06.pdf
(5) AoA 2006 Survey of Area Agencies on Aging: http:// www.aoa.gov/about/results/aaasurvey08082006.pdf