“In 10 Years, Half Of Middle-Income Elders Won’t Be Able To Afford Housing, Medical Care,” by Virginia Knight, Kaiser Health News

“The study suggests that policymakers could expand Medicare benefits to include access to a wider range of supportive services, or create a new benefit, ‘Medicare Part E,’ that funds long-term care. However, other attempts to set up such a program have run into resistance among lawmakers because of cost. While Medicaid is the primary payer of long-term nursing home care, right now the program is available only to low-income seniors. Seniors may become eligible if they impoverish themselves. However, lawmakers could also broaden the Medicaid income eligibility requirements or expand options to include home-based care for those with higher-end incomes.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):

How wrong can they get it? If Medicaid LTC required impoverishment, we wouldn’t be in this mess. People would have worried about LTC risk and prepared. Instead, the perpetrators of that mistake want to double down by loading LTC on the already bankrupt Medicare program. When “experts” have everything backwards, what hope do regular people have to navigate the shoals of long-term care?