Proposed Medicaid Block Grants, Managed Care Waivers, and Federal Cut-Backs Take Wrong Turn; Fail to Address Need For Long-Term Services and Support

From Mark Albertson's Law Blog: (click for full article)

From an email sent out by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

This spring, the House of Representatives, in a party-line vote, approved a budget that makes fundamental changes to the delivery of long-term care services and support (LTSS) under the Medicaid program. LTSS includes home health and personal care for persons who remain in the community, plus institutional care such as a nursing home. The changes included in the budget are harmful to older Americans and people with disabilities and fail to address the need for LTSS.

This budget proposal would have an impact on most Americans. Consider these statistics:

About 70 percent of people age 65 or older will need LTSS at some point in their lifetime.1

It is a common misconception that only seniors require LTSS; in fact, 40 percent of people currently receiving LTSS are adults under age 65.

Medicaid is the primary LTSS provider for America’s seniors and persons with disabilities, paying for care for more than 3 million individuals.