Two years ago, the Long-Term Care Financing Collaborative proposed a public catastrophic long-term care insurance program. In effect, people would use private insurance, savings, or home equity to pay for the first few years of their care needs, then the government would pick up costs for people with true catastrophic needs. Today, two highly-respected long-term care experts offered an important [...]
The Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington (DC) based group that develops consensus policy solutions, has proposed a series of reforms aimed at helping families finance long-term care for themselves and their loved ones. The proposal aims to encourage more people to buy private long-term care insurance, including through Medicare, and would provide a new Medicare respite benefit for family caregivers. [...]
Sometimes, you just have to say what is crashingly obvious. And when it comes to older adults aging at home, here it is: If seniors are going to avoid a nursing home, they need a safe, affordable alternative. Without one, they may die prematurely. And even if they live, they will almost surely need institutional care, which may be a [...]
Four former top government officials—two Democrats and two Republicans—have proposed a new plan aimed at improving the nation’s system for financing long-term care. Their package of ideas is detailed but relatively modest. However, by agreeing to a consensus plan, the officials have taken a major step in raising the profile of the critical issue of long-term care financing. The group [...]
For the first time in years, there is hope that the U.S. can create a new model to help families finance long-term supports and services. The solution isn’t yet visible, and lawmakers won’t address the issue any time soon. But a wide range of private interests including long-term care providers, consumer groups, the insurance industry, and policy analysts seems to [...]
In the past few weeks, no fewer than three highly respected groups have proposed major health care reforms. They all promise greater use of patient-centered integrated care, but none include supports and services for frail elders or younger people with disabilities. It took four decades to incorporate a drug benefit into Medicare. Now we seem to be in the same place [...]