PLAN Act of 2026 in plain language
1: Short title
This section would let the Act be cited as the 'Planning for Long-term Aging Needs Act of 2026' or the 'PLAN Act of 2026.'
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1. Short title The Act may be cited as the Planning for Long-term Aging Needs Act of 2026 or the PLAN Act of 2026 .
2: Long-term care public education initiative
This section would add a long-term care public education initiative to the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, which operates under section 6021(d) of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The Secretary of Health and Human Services would have to develop and carry out the initiative, with the goals of educating the public, including working-age adults and people with disabilities, about the need to plan for long-term care during retirement; giving the public accurate, objective information about long-term care risks and care options, including home- and community-based services and institutional care; giving the public objective, accessible resources to evaluate financial, housing, caregiving, and service-related planning options, including advance planning before retirement age, information on long-term care partnership programs, and available federal and state resources; and making these resources accessible to family caregivers helping a loved one plan for long-term care. The initiative would have to include traditional media outreach through television, radio, digital platforms, and print materials; digital and social media outreach using strategies such as short- and long-form videos, interactive online resources, livestreamed discussions, infographics, visual storytelling, and case studies of people with lived long-term care experience; and community-based education programs delivered through partnerships with state governors, state and local elected officials, and state and local government agencies; area agencies on aging, aging and disability resource centers, centers for independent living, state units on aging, state councils on developmental disabilities, and caregiver support organizations and resource centers; other federal agencies as necessary; and other external partners such as healthcare providers, employers, insurers, financial advisors, and trade associations, community organizations, nonprofit organizations, and universities, and non-traditional messengers such as social media influencers and community leaders. The initiative would also have to include linguistically accessible materials for different populations, online resources and planning tools accessible to people with disabilities, and targeted outreach to populations at higher risk of long-term care financing shortfalls, such as low- to middle-income people who cannot access Medicaid but cannot self-finance long-term care. The Secretary would have to establish partnerships, including funding partnerships, with state and local governments, private-sector stakeholders, and nonprofit organizations to enhance the initiative's reach and effectiveness. Not later than one year after this Act's enactment, the Secretary would have to transmit to Congress a report containing an implementation plan for the initiative, including performance metrics, target populations, anticipated outcomes, a review of prior federal and state long-term care education efforts (including the Own Your Future Long-Term Care Awareness Campaign) with an assessment of how lessons learned should inform the initiative, and opportunities to integrate long-term care education materials into other federal initiatives and communications, such as retirement planning materials, outreach to new parents, financial literacy efforts, and web materials from the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Not later than one year after that initial report, and annually after that for as long as the initiative continues, the Secretary would have to transmit to Congress a further report on the number of individuals reached by the initiative, changes in public awareness of the need to plan for long-term care, evidence of increased long-term care planning behavior among target populations, and recommendations for improving the initiative, including ways to enhance outreach, partnerships, and public awareness. Amounts appropriated to carry out section 411 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 would be available to pay for these activities. This section would also amend section 411(a)(9) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 to add, as an authorized activity under that section, activities to develop and implement this long-term care public education initiative.
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2. Long-term care public education initiative (a) National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information Section 6021(d) of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 1396p note) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: (3) Long-term care public education initiative (A) In general As part of the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, the Secretary shall develop and implement a public education initiative on the need for individuals to plan for their long-term care (in this paragraph referred to as the initiative ). (B) Goals The goals of the initiative shall be— (i) to educate the public, including adults of working age (including individuals with disabilities), about the need to plan for future long-term care needs during retirement; (ii) to ensure the public has accurate, objective information about their long-term care risks and care options, including home- and community-based services and institutional care; (iii) to provide objective and accessible resources to help the public evaluate financial, housing, caregiving, and service-related planning options related to long-term care, including advance planning before retirement age, information on long-term care partnership programs, and available Federal and State resources; and (iv) to make these resources accessible for family caregivers who may be helping a loved one plan for long-term care needs. (C) Contents The initiative shall include— (i) traditional media outreach through television, radio, digital platforms, and print materials; (ii) digital outreach, including social media outreach, using diverse engagement strategies that may include short- and long-form videos, interactive online resources, livestreamed discussions, infographics, visual storytelling, case studies of individuals with lived long-term care experiences, and other resources; (iii) community-based education programs delivered through partnerships with— (I) State governors, State and local elected representatives, and State and local government agencies; (II) area agencies on aging, aging and disability resource centers, centers for independent living, State units on aging, State councils on developmental disabilities, and caregiver support organizations and resource centers; (III) other Federal agencies, as necessary; and (IV) other external partners, such as— (aa) healthcare providers, employers, insurers, financial advisors, and trade associations; (bb) community organizations, nonprofit organizations, and universities; and (cc) non-traditional messengers, such as social media influencers and community leaders; (iv) linguistically accessible materials for different populations; (v) online resources and planning tools accessible to individuals with disabilities; and (vi) targeted outreach to populations at higher risk for long-term care financing shortfalls, such as low- to middle-income individuals who cannot access Medicaid but are unable to self-finance long-term care. (D) Partnerships The Secretary shall establish partnerships, including funding partnerships, with State and local governments, private sector stakeholders, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of enhancing the reach and effectiveness of the initiative. (E) Reports to Congress (i) Initial report Not later than one year after the date of enactment of the PLAN Act of 2026, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report containing a plan developed by the Secretary for implementation of the initiative, including— (I) performance metrics; (II) target populations; (III) anticipated outcomes; (IV) a review of prior Federal and State public education efforts related to long-term care planning, including the Own Your Future Long-Term Care Awareness Campaign, and an assessment of how lessons learned from prior efforts should inform and improve the design and implementation of the initiative; and (V) opportunities to integrate long-term care education materials into Federal initiatives and communications to the public, such as retirement planning materials, outreach to new parents, financial literacy efforts, and web-based materials from government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (ii) Subsequent annual reports Not later than one year after the date of transmission of the report under clause (i), and annually thereafter during the period of the initiative, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the progress made by the Secretary in implementing the initiative during the prior year, including— (I) data on the number of individuals reached by the initiative; (II) information on changes in the level of public awareness regarding the need to plan for long-term care; (III) evidence of increased long-term care planning behaviors among target populations; and (IV) recommendations for improving the initiative in future years, including opportunities to enhance outreach for, partnerships for, and public awareness of long-term care planning. (F) Funding Amounts appropriated to carry out section 411 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 ( 42 U.S.C. 3032 ) shall be available for conducting the activities under this paragraph. . (b) Program authorization under Older Americans Act of 1965 Section 411(a)(9) of the Older Americans Act of 1965 ( 42 U.S.C. 3032(a)(9) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking and at the end; (2) in subparagraph (C), by adding and at the end; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (D) activities to develop and implement the long-term care public education initiative authorized under paragraph (3) of section 6021(d) of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 1396p note); .