We are getting down to the wire in the 2024 presidential election, and the grasping for new groups of constituents is getting more intense. To appeal to the “sandwich generation,” or those middle-aged people that are simultaneously caring for their children and for their aging parents, Kamala Harris is now proposing a new Medicare benefit for in-home eldercare. As if we haven’t had enough politicization of long-term care from politicians this year. The proposal would cover long-term home care services, including health aides. Right now, Medicare only covers certain home health services with restrictions on hours of care per day and per week, and it does not cover 24-hour care at home like a nursing home or assisted living community would.
Does this proposal stand a chance of receiving congressional approval, which it needs? And can we expect this to be paid for simply by the government’s negotiation of certain lower prescription-drug costs, and other measures, as suggested by the Harris campaign? Our guess is it’s not a very serious, or thought-through policy proposal, and the candidate will not be asked for more details before November 5. We do know of the increasing costs of home care, thanks to a study done by Genworth and by ASHA’s recent special issue brief on the subject, so any estimated costs of the benefit will likely be higher than what is said on the eve of an election.
