News/Press Releases

As the AGS continues to voice concern for public policy changes that jeopardize care for older Americans the Society’s geriatrics experts call for safeguards to protect older people who rely on Medicaid for long-term services and supports.

New York (May 11, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today voiced concern over recent reports that budget cuts in Louisiana could terminate Medicaid benefits for more than 35,000 residents of nursing and group homes, as well as for individuals who receive care at home while living well below the federal poverty line. The loss of Medicaid coverage—the federal program that funds long-term care for older Americans—not only jeopardizes long-term care benefits but also could lead to housing evictions for older people already living with limited means. As other states across the U.S. face similar budget concerns, the AGS urges state and national policymakers to support solutions that ensure all older Americans can look forward to health, safety, and independence in the communities they helped shape.

In Louisiana specifically, the state budget now includes steep health spending cuts—including those aimed at Medicaid benefits—to compensate for lost tax revenue exceeding $1 billion. Worried that other states facing similar budget gaps could turn to healthcare cuts impacting older people, AGS experts again cautioned that programs like Medicaid and Medicare remain crucial to ensuring we all have access to high-quality, person-centered care as we age.

• Drawing on 30+ years of experience as geriatrician & health system leader, Dr. Laurie Jacobs convenes meeting of 2,500+ #geriatrics experts as new President of @AmerGeriatrics http://ow.ly/iBc030jLiTF

New York (April 30, 2018)—As more than 2,500 geriatrics experts prepare to converge on Orlando, Fla., for the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS18), their commitment to research, clinical practice, and public policy serving us all as we age will be reflected in the expertise of the Society’s newest president: Laurie G. Jacobs, MD, AGSF. A seasoned health systems leader, educator, and geriatrics scholar, Dr. Jacobs has been an AGS member since 1988 and an AGS Board representative since 2011. She will begin her tenure as AGS President outlining her vision to improve health in aging by disrupting outdated models of care as she opens #AGS18, which runs May 3-5 (pre-conference day May 2) at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort®.

“The AGS membership and geriatrics community is uniquely positioned to both provide care to older adults and to shape how that care is provided now and in the coming years,” notes Dr. Jacobs.

New York (April 18, 2018)—In response to regulatory actions that took aim last week at essential health benefits for all Americans and support systems for the poor, experts at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) again cautioned that such changes could jeopardize the health, safety, and independence of us all as we age.

“To ensure we have access to high-quality, person-centered care, we need to support policy solutions that can help all of society benefit from increased longevity,” noted AGS Chief Executive Officer Nancy Lundebjerg, MPA. “Solutions that strip health protections for Americans while also risking important gains for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals remain counterproductive to what we all need as we age.”

These warnings come just days after President Trump signed an Executive Order mandating work requirements for people receiving food assistance, Medicaid, and low-income housing subsidies because they already live at or below the federal poverty line. With many of America’s more than 43 million caregivers relying on such supports to make caregiving possible, such a sweeping directive could risk care quality for older adults now while jeopardizing well-being for more Americans in the years to come.

A new supplement to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society finds field leaders in dementia and mental health research weighing in on the science, public policy, and professional education and practice that will change our experience of aging.

New York (April 16, 2018)—In a newly published collection of research reports and essays, more than 20 experts in aging are looking to the future of science, professional education, clinical practice, and public policy to address two of America’s fastest growing health concerns: Dementia and mental health in late life. Across 10 articles compiled as a supplement to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), field leaders in geriatrics, dementia, and mental health have traced the trajectory of everything from our knowledge of neurological systems contributing to dementia to the development of new interprofessional approaches to teaching and managing late life problems in mental health. In so doing, they hope to chart a course forward for bridging the gap between science and clinical practice, which could transform the prevention and treatment of dementia and mental illness for us all as we age.

• .@AmerGeriatrics Honors Expert & Emerging #Geriatrics Leaders at #AGS18 http://ow.ly/8qWS30jsupg

New York (April 12, 2018)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) annually honors researchers, clinicians, educators, and emerging health professionals who have made outstanding contributions to high-quality, person-centered care for older people. This year’s award recipients include more than 20 leaders representing the breadth of disciplines championing care for us all as we age.

Choosing Wisely® Champion Award

• Alina Sibley, APRN, BC (Baystate Medical Center)

Clinician of the Year Award

• J. Eugene Lammers, MD, MPH, FACP, AGSF (Mercy LIFE of Alabama)

Clinical Student Research Award

• Michael Liu (University of Arizona, Harvard University)

David H. Solomon Memorial Public Service Award