In April of this year, a budget passback from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) to the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) proposed to cut $40 billion from the DHHS 2026 budget. The passback makes draconian cuts to many DHHS programs, including the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program (LTCOP), a vital program that, among many services, provides advocates for residents of long-term care facilities. The dissolution of the LTCOP would place all residents in settings served by Ombudsman program representatives at risk.
The “skinny,” version of the president’s FY2026 discretionary budget, a high-level overview of the Administration’s priorities, was released in May. There are no explicit references to cuts to LTCOP in the skinny budget. However, the full budget has yet to be released. When the full FY2026 budget proposal is released, we will know whether the proposed cuts to the LTCOP, which were in the budget passback, are included.
Contact your members of Congress expressing strong support for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and its fundamental role in protecting the rights and well-being of residents in long-term care facilities.
