Options for Bringing Affordable Home- and Community-Based Supports to Medicare Beneficiaries
<p>Some 4.5 million Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older have serious physical impairments and an additional 7.5 million have mild cognitive impairment. Most also have multiple chronic conditions. But while Medicare covers medical services, it mostly doesn’t cover the long-term services and supports these adults need to remain in their community. </p><p>In the second brief in our two-part series addressing the needs of older adults living with impairment, Amber Willink, Karen Davis, and Cathy Schoen examine two policy options for ensuring that beneficiaries can get the long-term services and supports they need to live independently—without incurring devastating financial burden.</p>
<p>One option involves financing home- and community-based care under Medicare through a combination of cost-sharing, reasonable premiums, and a modest increase in payroll tax for employers and employees. Alternatively, Medicaid could be expanded to cover all low-income elderly and disabled Medicare beneficiaries who would otherwise qualify for long-stay nursing home care. The authors provide a look at potential spending effects for both approaches.</p>
<p>Learn more about how these reforms could improve quality of life for a particularly vulnerable population while making better use of limited resources.</p>