U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris takes a break at the ABC studios during a taping of “The View” on October 8, 2024 in New York.
Charlie Triballo | AFP | Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris A new proposal was announced on Tuesday calling for Medical insurance coverage The cost of long-term care at home.
Such coverage could allow millions of seniors and people with disabilities to receive care at home rather than in a nursing facility.
Exceed 37 million people, In the United States, 14% of the adult population provides some form of unpaid elder care, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The majority of these caregivers (approximately 59%) are women.
Harris’ universal home care proposal requires congressional action. But it could bring unprecedented relief to Americans currently caring for their families. The vice president noted that her plan could be particularly beneficial to people caring for aging parents and children.
“It’s almost impossible to do it all, especially if (caregivers) are working,” Harris said when she first laid out her plan on ABC’s “The View.” “We found that a lot of people had to Quitting your job means losing your source of income, not to mention the emotional stress.”
Tricia Neuman, senior vice president and executive director of Medicare Policy Initiatives at KFF, said Harris’ proposal is historic.
“It’s been a long time (decades) since a presidential candidate proposed a Medicare proposal to help middle-income families cope with the huge costs of home care,” Neumann said.
Medicare currently does not typically cover home long-term care services. Medicaid is the main source of public support for such care, but families must demonstrate very low income to qualify. Coverage and eligibility also vary widely from state to state.
“This leaves many middle-income families with the cost of caring for aging parents or grandparents,” Neumann said.
The cost of providing long-term care in the home is staggering. For example, KFF estimates that hiring a professional in-home home health aide can cost more than $288,000 per year.
Harris’ plan could cost about $40 billion a year, according to An estimate from the Brookings Institution. Harris said the cost would be paid for by savings from the government’s new powers to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers.
“We will save money on Medicare because we won’t be paying such high costs,” Harris said.
On “The View,” Harris talked about caring for her mother, who was battling cancer at the time.
“This is also a personal experience for me and something that I care deeply about,” Harris said. Her mother is cancer researcherdied 2009 age 70.
In addition to improving the lives of caregivers, expanding coverage can improve the lives of seniors, the Vice President said.
“This is about personal dignity and independence,” she said.
More than two-thirds of adults over 50 want to stay in their homes long-term, according to Research from AARP.
Newman said it was prudent for Harris to introduce her policies toward the end of an extremely close presidential race between her and former President Donald Trump.
“This is an issue that resonates with the public because it affects families regardless of political leanings,” she said.
