10. Issues in designing a national program of long-term care benefits.
This paper discusses a major policy area in long-term care--the design of a comprehensive national program of long-term care benefits--for which a broad base of information is needed. In the continuum of social welfare, a program for long-term care is veiwed as being in the middle ground between health care and income maintenance. Significant issues include the extent of coverage in terms of population groups and types of services, and the relative emphasis given to institutional care, to organized services enabling persons to remain in their homes, and to support of informal care from relatives and friends. Other considerations are methods of controlling costs and utilization, sharing of responsibility between federal and state governments, and establishement and enforcing of standards for providers of services. Two proposals introduced in the 93rd Congress illustrate current approaches to comprehensive long-term care benefits.
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005380:Financing, Government; D006077:Government Agencies; D006296:Health Services / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006699:Home Care Services; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009313:National Health Programs; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012040:Regional Health Planning; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012947:Social Work; D014481:United States