Heather Menne
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Community Living
Washington, DC 20201
VIA E-MAIL: [email protected]
RE: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Administration for Community Living, Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Public Comment Request; Proposed Extension with Modifications of a Currently Approved Collection; National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants
Dear Ms. Menne,
I am writing on behalf of the millions of members and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare to oppose the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) proposal to erase lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults from the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants (NSOAAP). The ACL’s original and corrected notices in the Federal Register do not provide any information or explanation for ACL’s proposal.
The National Committee is a strong supporter of Older Americans Act programs which allow older Americans to remain as independent as possible in their homes and communities. The NSOAAP provides critical data on whether federally-funded aging programs like meals on wheels, family caregiver support, adult daycare, and senior centers reach all older adults, including LGBT older adults. After facing a lifetime of discrimination in employment, housing and health care, LGBT seniors are more likely to live in poverty. Being included in the survey is the best way to ensure that funding is targeted at providing them with the assistance they need – to keep from going hungry, from being abused, or sleeping in a freezing cold room. The more data we have, the more we can do to make sure LGBT older adults receive the services they need.
The Older Americans Act was designed to assist all seniors. We urge the Administration for Community Living to retain the LGBT question in the NSOAAP so we will have information on how the aging network is meeting the needs of this population.
Sincerely,
Max Richtman
President and CEO