LeadingAge’s 2026 Policy Platform
LeadingAge’s approach to policy begins and ends with our members. Throughout the year, our eyes and ears are wide open, listening to members as they strive to provide the services and care needed by a population aging rapidly before them. Through LeadingAge’s Member Networks, our weekly National Policy Pulse calls, site visits, member check-ins when at national and state conferences, we’re listening to understand which of your needs, hurdles and opportunities could be supported, changed, or stopped by changes in federal policy and resources.
Our policy platform emerges from these many conversations and is informed by evidence-based practices, data, and research. The policy platform guides LeadingAge advocacy on Capitol Hill and the federal agencies. The planks on the platform allow us to make quick decisions and take swift action on the issues that matter most across the continuum of aging services. Our continuum work allows us to advocate for a holistic approach to aging services and to ensure that a solution for one part of the continuum does not negatively impact another part of the continuum. The planks are interrelated as older adults use layers of programs and systems simultaneously; no one program or issue exists in a vacuum. Policy action is dynamic and full of disruption as well as opportunity. While our approach and engagement on certain issues may change as needs emerge, conversations occur, bills are introduced, rules and guidance are proposed, and other events take place, LeadingAge’s values and priorities are constant. Read the platform here.
Department of Education Publishes Proposed Rule on “Professional Degrees”
On January 30, as expected, the Department of Education published a proposed rule intended to implement several higher‑education provisions from H.R.1, including new parameters for federal student loan programs. Of particular interest to LeadingAge members is the proposal to revise the definition of “professional degree,” which now plays a significant role in determining federal loan limits for advanced degree programs. H.R.1 established two tiers of loan caps: students enrolled in graduate programs may borrow up to $20,500 annually with a $100,000 lifetime limit, while students in programs classified as awarding a “professional degree” may access up to $50,000 annually and $200,000 total. Because this rule defines what constitutes a “professional degree,” it will directly affect which students qualify for the higher borrowing limits.
LeadingAge is concerned that the proposed definition excludes several critical fields that underpin the aging‑services workforce, including nursing, physical and occupational therapy, physicians’ assistants, and social work. Members have also noted that rural communities are likely to feel the impact most acutely, as advanced practice clinicians often serve in roles typically filled by physicians in those settings. In addition, limiting borrowing capacity for graduate‑level degrees could impact the number of nurse educators, having a downstream effect on training programs and the broader pipeline. The proposed rule is open for public comment for 30 days, with comments due by March 2. LeadingAge will submit comments on behalf of the association, and we encourage state partners and members to continue to share any perspectives, examples, or concerns they would like us to incorporate into our response.
New Nursing Home Reports in the LeadingAge Report Portal
The latest Five Star Analysis Reports have been updated in the LeadingAge Report Portal. These reports reflect updates to Nursing Home Care Compare originally scheduled for January 28 and updated on February 5. This January quarterly refresh includes updates to the overall Five Star Quality Rating and each of the domain ratings – health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Additionally, this quarter’s update includes the newly re-specified long-stay antipsychotics measure that is now based on both assessment data and claims data. Providers can use the Five Star Analysis Report from the LeadingAge Report Portal to demonstrate performance to their Board and to referral sources, as well as identifying areas for data-driven quality improvement. Access your report here.
NURSE Visa Act Introduced to Address Severe Nursing Workforce Shortages
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the National Urgent Recruitment for Skilled Employees (NURSE) Visa Act, legislation aimed at easing nationwide nursing shortages by expanding access to work visas for internationally trained nurses. Beyer noted that ongoing staffing challenges across the health care system driven by retirements, lingering effects of the pandemic, and sustained demand for nursing professionals contribute to shortages that are fueling burnout and threatening access to timely, high-quality care. His bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make available 20,000 nonimmigrant visas per fiscal year for nurses employed in areas designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as experiencing a nursing workforce shortage. Eligibility would be tied not only to the shortage designation but also to facility-level requirements, including having a provider-to-patient staffing ratio policy in place. Rep. Beyer previously introduced the legislation in 2024. For LeadingAge members, the Nurse Visa Act is notable as a legislative proposal focused on expanding legal immigration pathways specifically to address nursing shortages. LeadingAge supports the bill and will work with Rep. Beyer to seek bipartisan backing for this legislation.
