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The Kaiser Family Foundation helped conduct a national survey of over 1,000 informal caregivers in 1998 to assess the policy issues involved with this new, growing role for many family members and friends. Nearly one of every four adults (23 percent) is an informal caregiver, and, as the American population ages, it is likely families will take on an even greater responsibility to keep their loved ones at home and in communities. The Foundation is…
A Special Series The Kaiser Family Foundation and ABC/WCVB Local TV News Initiative: Caring For An Elderly Relative Growing numbers of families today are struggling with the challenges of getting and paying for long-term care for elderly relatives. As the population ages and more women enter the workforce, the problems of caring for elderly relatives will only worsen. There are 1.6 million elderly residents in nursing homes today, but long-term care issues touch millions more…
This issue paper updates the July 1999 report and provides a general overview of federal Medicaid eligibility policy for the low-income disabled population. This paper focuses on four broad groups of individuals with disabilities: children under 18; adults under 65 who are not living in institutions; adults under 65 who are living in institutions; and adults under 65 who are also eligible for Medicare. In addition, this paper includes the new eligibility options offered under…
Private Long-Term Care Insurance: Who Should Buy It and What Should They Buy? Despite the growing interest in private long-term care insurance (LTCI), there has been little independent examination of how much protection LTCI policies provide consumers or whether LTCI policies are a worthwhile purchase for people of average means. This report draws on data from the 1998 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and the 1996 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) to explore the feasibility…
This brief focuses on one subset of “flexibility” issues: the current federal benefits and cost-sharing rules that apply with respect to long-term care. Issue Paper (.pdf)
This issue brief provides an overview of the Independence Plus Initiative, compares core program features with the Cash and Counseling Demonstration program, and discusses several policy issues that arise in the implementation of this initiative. Issue Paper (.pdf)
This brief examines 10 key facts about women with Medicare and presents new statistics on the health, economic and functional status of women with Medicare.
This issue brief provides state-level data on long-term services and supports (LTSS) users by setting, discusses the unique challenges that LTSS users will face in light of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It presents federal and state policy options, and explores Medicaid’s role as the primary LTSS payer in the U.S..
This side-by-side comparison examines President Trump’s record and former Vice President Biden’s positions across a wide range of key health issues, including the response to the pandemic, the Affordable Care Act marketplace, Medicaid, Medicare, drug prices, reproductive health, mental health and opioids, immigration and health coverage, and health care costs.
This analysis examines the impact of COVID-19 on assisted living facilities, including changes in cases and deaths between June and August 2020, using state-reported data on COVID-19. The analysis finds a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents and staff in assisted living facilities over this two-month period. Due to the incomplete nature of state reporting, these numbers are an undercount.
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