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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…
About 9 million low-income seniors and younger people with disabilities in the United States are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid. This brief examines the role of Medicare in providing health coverage for these beneficiaries. Medicare is the primary source of health insurance, while Medicaid provides supplemental coverage, helping with premiums and cost-sharing and paying for services not covered by Medicare. This brief examines overall and per capita Medicare spending for these beneficiaries, including variations…
Massachusetts is the first state to finalize a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to test CMS's capitated financial alignment model for beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, with enrollment beginning on April 1, 2013. Starting in 2013, CMS will implement a three-year multi-state demonstration to test new service delivery and payment models for people who are eligible for both federal health programs. Massachusetts' demonstration…
This policy brief describes the resources, staffing, and performance of state licensing and certification agencies based on findings from a survey of state survey agency officials. Issue Paper
This paper provides an overview of the joint efforts of states and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop more integrated ways of paying for and delivering health care to the 9 million people who are eligible for both the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Dual eligible beneficiaries comprise many of the poorest and sickest people covered by either program, and they account for a disproportionately large share of Medicare and Medicaid spending.…
In the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the federal government made it harder for individuals to qualify for Medicaid nursing home benefits by increasing penalties on individuals who have transferred assets for less than fair market value during the past five years and by making individuals with home equity above $500,000 ineligible for nursing home benefits. The legislation also lifts the moratorium on the number of states that may operate Long-Term Care (LTC) Partnership Programs,…
The proportion of elderly adults over age 65 in nursing homes has declined over the past two decades, most noticeably in recent years. Reasons suggested for this trend include reductions in disability rates among elderly people, improvements in mechanisms for coping with disability, and changes in the residential and long-term care options available to elderly people with disabilities. This report focuses on the characteristics, needs, and payment sources for the care of elderly nursing home…
To mark the 20th anniversary of the passage of landmark federal legislation to improve the quality of nursing home care, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (known as OBRA 87), this video examines the history surrounding the law. The video includes a look at the state of nursing home care before the law, an overview of the legislative process that brought about the law, and recent developments in nursing home quality. The video features…
This policy brief describes the current federal staffing requirements and how states separately regulate staffing levels in nursing homes. It also presents data showing actual staffing levels in over half of this country's nursing homes exceed the levels that states and the federal government require. Report PDF Download
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