Medicaid has evolved to become the primary payer for long-term care (LTC) services and supports to low-income elderly and disabled individuals, financing 42 percent of the nation’s spending on long-term care services. The structure and cost associated with the program’s role are key considerations as states begin to implement some of the changes passed as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has released a report that presents an overview of Medicaid as a provider of LTC and highlights policy challenges facing the Medicaid program today. Some of the issues addressed include integration of services for people who use LTC; varying disability criteria for Medicaid LTC coverage, which can create potential inequalities across beneficiary groups and states; and achieving a balance between institutional and community-based care, especially with the recent shift toward more community-based alternatives. Download the report.
