Issue Briefs
Date of this Version
10-11-2019
Abstract
In the United States, people who need long-term care (LTC) face a system with large gaps in care, which they must rely on friends and family to fill. Medicaid finances the majority of paid LTC, but people must exhaust their resources to qualify. Medicare and private health insurance do not cover LTC, and the private market for long-term care insurance is failing. Unpaid family and friends provide most long-term services, but the value of their services is rarely reflected in debates about LTC financing and delivery. Beyond the value of the services, this system has costs to the economy, as spouses and adult children reduce paid work to care for their loved ones. As the population ages and families are less able to shoulder the burden of LTC, the current system may be unable to meet the growing need without an alternative, sustainable financing mechanism.
Document Type
Brief
Volume
23
Number
1
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords
long-term care, LTC, Medicaid, aging
Included in
Geriatrics Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Health Policy Commons, Other Medical Sciences Commons
Date Posted: 01 November 2019