Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'A Slow-Moving Train Wreck': Most Americans Don't Have Long-Term Care Insurance Yet Many Will Need It
Stateline: Getting Older, Going Broke: Who’s Going To Pay For Long-Term Care?
Long-term care insurance is, for most of us, prohibitively expensive. Employer-based health insurance doesn’t cover daily, extended care. Medicare pays for only a short stay in a nursing home or a limited amount of care at home. Ninety percent of Americans don’t have long-term care insurance — even though half of all people 65 and over will need such care at some point. Without it, seniors can go bankrupt paying for assisted living, nursing home care or home health care. (Wiltz, 7/25)
The Associated Press: Study: Home-Delivered Meals Could Save Money For Medicare
Medicare could save $1.57 for every dollar spent delivering free healthy meals to frail seniors after a hospitalization, according to a new study that comes as lawmakers look to restrain costs by promoting patients' well-being. The report Thursday from the Bipartisan Policy Center addresses ways that Medicare can do a better job coordinating care for chronically ill patients, who account for most of the program's $650 billion annual cost. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/25)
