Alison Barkoff Announces Departure from HHS

Alison Barkoff, the senior official performing the duties of the Administrator for the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and Assistant Secretary for Aging, has announced her departure from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), effective in early October 2024. Barkoff has been a pivotal figure at ACL since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, where she has worked closely with disability and aging advocates to enhance protections and access to services for these populations.

Under Barkoff’s leadership, ACL made significant strides in ensuring the needs of older adults and people with disabilities were addressed, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency played a key role in improving access to vaccines, tests, and treatments for these vulnerable groups and integrated their needs into HHS’s broader disaster planning and response strategies. Additionally, Barkoff oversaw the issuance of new regulations for the Older Americans Act programs and Adult Protective Services, updating Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for the first time in 40 years, as well as initiatives to expand Medicaid-funded home and community-based services.

Her tenure at ACL has been marked by efforts to strengthen the care infrastructure, leading to the launch of the Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center. Barkoff also spearheaded the creation of the Housing and Services Resource Center, aimed at increasing access to affordable, accessible housing.

Following her departure from HHS, Barkoff will join George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health as the Harold and Jane Hirsh Associate Professor of Health Law and Policy and director of the Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program. Her departure marks the end of a significant chapter at ACL, where her advocacy and leadership have left a lasting impact on the lives of older adults and people with disabilities for many years to come.