Policy initiatives to promote healthy aging

This article summarizes current public policy initiatives that promote healthy aging. It provides examples in three main areas: broad scope national programs, educational and informational initiatives, and direct service programs. Broad scope national programs include national health initiatives, Medicare, and Medicaid. Educational and informational initiatives focus on the National Institute on Aging; and information distribution efforts of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Care Financing Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Direct service programs include the Older Americans Act, state and local programs, CDC local initiatives, and programs of managed care organizations and health systems. The article concludes with discussion about how knowledge of these policy initiatives can be useful to providers of clinical care to older patients.