ELIZABETHOWN, PA: Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Nick Miller (D-14) hosted a policy hearing on rising costs for seniors with Senator Malon. This hearing will examine the rising cost of living and the impact it has on seniors across the Commonwealth.
“We must continue to support Pennsylvania seniors as they struggle with rising costs and mounting financial pressures,” she said Senator Miller. “This hearing highlighted the challenges that many older adults face every day and the need to find real solutions. I have witnessed these challenges firsthand by volunteering with Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley and meeting with seniors who rely on these services. Our seniors deserve the opportunity to age with dignity, and we must continue to work to improve their quality of life and provide them with the support they deserve.”
“The rising costs of essential goods and services have significantly impacted Pennsylvania’s senior population,” he said Senator James Andrew Malone. “People who have worked a lifetime deserve to retire with dignity and without fear of prematurely depleting their resources. There are many seniors in my district. I want lawmakers to better understand the challenges they and their service providers face. I am grateful that Senator Miller came to Elizabethtown to host this important discussion. I look forward to taking these insights with me as we focus on lowering the cost of living for seniors in Lancaster and throughout the Commonwealth.”
The Pennsylvania Department on Aging noted in written testimony that people across the country are feeling the effects of rising costs for housing, food, daily necessities and health care. The Department has emphasized the need to support older adults’ ability to age where and how they choose through services such as home-delivered and congregate meals, caregiver support, health and wellness programs, personal assistance, senior centers, Medicare counseling, transportation, job training, elder abuse prevention, and PACE prescription assistance.
Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski testified that the challenge ahead is getting bigger.
“Pennsylvania is one of the oldest states in the country, and Northampton County is seeing the same changes,” Zrinski said. “Every year, more residents are reaching retirement age. More and more families are struggling with care, transportation, food insecurity and long-term care. This is not a temporary situation. This is a fundamental change in our population that requires a real response.”
Austin W. Cawley, legislative director at LeadingAge PA, talked about the biggest cost pressure seniors face: housing.
“If Pennsylvania is serious about meeting the growing demand for affordable housing for seniors, it must support innovative and financially sustainable models like this,” Cawley said. “Pennsylvania’s Housing Action Plan can help by promoting inclusive, mixed-income housing strategies, financing models that combine market-rate and affordable housing, and sharing best practices so providers can replicate effective approaches. With this support, Pennsylvania can bring senior housing online more quickly and at lower cost while maintaining strong community outcomes.”
Feleen Nancarvis, executive director of Meals on Wheels in Lancaster, testified about senior services that have been repeatedly funded on a lump sum basis for years.
“I will say our seniors face impossible challenges,” Nancarvis said. “It’s the same with individuals and the systems that support them. Meals on Wheels is a service that provides assistance to individuals in the community, their families and caregivers. We also provide an crucial public-private partnership. As Josh Protas of Meals on Wheels America says, investing in nutrition services for seniors is simply ‘astute fiscal policy.’ Meals on Wheels will keep vulnerable community members out of emergency rooms and reduce the financial burden on the state’s health care system.”
Hailey Spangler, Program Director of ECHOS Lancaster, testified about their organization’s mission to empower families and individuals experiencing housing instability and insufficient income in the northwestern region of Lancaster County.
“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that older adults are the fastest growing age group of people experiencing homelessness,” Spangler said. “They comprise almost half of the population, and their numbers are expected to increase and triple by 2030.”
In its written testimony, AARP Pennsylvania noted that as the state’s population ages, rising costs for necessities such as food, housing, health care and transportation are increasingly straining household budgets. The organization emphasized that lawmakers cannot balance the budget or protect families without addressing rising spending on social services and recommended that the Committee conduct audits of MCO CHC service providers to ensure quality and reduce cost-increasing practices that do not improve care.
Testimony at the hearing were:
- Pennsylvania Department of Aging
- Northampton County Board Office
- ECHO in Lancaster
- PA Leading Age
- Meals on wheels
Senator Nick Miller was elected political chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus in December 2024.
Footage of the hearing and written testimony from the panel are available at: PASenatorMiller.com/Policy. Downloadable photos and videos are available upon request.
Learn more about AP Senate Democrats’ commitment to protecting our Commonwealth’s health care needs and other legislative priorities at www.pasenate.com.
Testimonies
