Addressing Long-Term Services and Supports Reform via Medicare. Yes, Medicare, That Post-Acute Care Program

Published In

Journal of Aging & Social Policy

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

2020

Subjects

Health care delivery, Medicare

Abstract

Reform of the U.S. long-term services and supports (LTSS) financing system has been historically difficult to achieve. This article outlines several recent reform proposals and offers a path forward on achieving LTSS reform. These proposals include the Commonwealth Fund’s Medicare Help at Home proposal, the work of the Bipartisan Policy Center, as well as the State of Minnesota to develop an LTSS benefit. All three proposals focus on an expansion of Medicare to cover the LTSS needs of Americans. While Medicare increasingly pays for LTSS, these approaches ensure that the role of Medicare in LTSS financing is much more coordinated. Enhancing Medicare’s role reduces the current reliance on Medicaid, the default payer of LTSS, while providing an opportunity for a more robust private insurance market to develop. This would help provide for the immediate LTSS needs of Americans while building a more sustainable and equitable financing system for future generations.

Description

Copyright © 2020 Informa UK Limited

DOI

10.1080/08959420.2018.1563469

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/33422

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