Multi-Stakeholder Coalition Applauds Lawmakers for Introduction of the Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2021

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Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness

Aug 24, 2021, 09:30 ET

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness, comprised of a diverse set of national organizations including consumer groups, health plans, health care providers, and technology innovators, sent a letter of support to Chairman Wyden, Chairman Casey, Chairman Neal, Representative Bonamici, and Representative Sanchez applauding the introduction of the Elder Justice Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2021 and specifically the provisions to address social isolation and loneliness.

"We applaud the allocation of $250 million over the next four years to make grants to eligible Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) or other community-based organizations to conduct outreach to individuals at-risk for social isolation, loneliness, or both," said Founder and Co-Director, Andrew MacPherson. "This funding will support interventions to mitigate loneliness and social isolation, connect at-risk individuals with social and clinical supports, and evaluate the impact of these programs," said MacPherson.

Studies indicate that anywhere from 25 to 45 percent of the total U.S. population was socially isolated or lonely, or both, prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).¹ Research conducted at Brigham Young University shows that social isolation and loneliness are associated with a 29 percent and 26 percent increased risk of mortality, respectively, comparable to that of obesity and smoking 15 cigarettes per day.² In addition to the negative health effects, it is estimated that Medicare spends $6.7 billion every year as a result of the individuals being social isolated.³

"The introduction of this bill and the allocation of funds to support those at risk of social isolation and loneliness is an important step towards protecting and supporting seniors in America," said MacPherson. "As we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 public health emergency in this country, this critical legislative is necessary to bolster the important work already occurring across the United States and we urge Congress to pass it swiftly."

The Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness brings together a diverse set of national organizations including consumer groups, health plans, health care providers, technology innovators, patient advocates and more to develop and advocate for federal policy solutions to address the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness. For more information, please visit: www.endsocialisolation.org, our COVID-19 Resource Center at www.endsocialisolation.org/COVID-19 and @EndSocIsolation on Twitter.

¹Kaiser Family Foundation. Loneliness and Social Isolation in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. An International Survey (2018), http://files.kff.org/attachment/Report-Loneliness-and-Social-Isolation-in-the-United-States-the-United-Kingdom-and-Japan-An-International-Survey; See also National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering. The Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults (2020). https://www.nap.edu/resource/25663/Social%20Isolation%20and%20Loneliness%20Report%20Highlights.pdf; CIGNA. "U.S. Loneliness Index: Survey of 20,000 American Surveying Behaviors Driving Loneliness in the United States." (2018). https://www.cigna.com/assets/docs/newsroom/loneliness-survey-2018-full- report.pdf
²J. Holt-Lunstad et al., Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review, 10 Perspect Psychol Sci 227 (2015).
³AARP Public Policy Institute. Medicare Spends More on Socially Isolated Older Adults (2017).