(Photo courtesy of the University of Michigan)
The future of long-term health care is the subject of an address Wednesday at Western Michigan University. Edward Norton is a Professor of Economics and Health Management at the University of Michigan. He says the aging of the population will likely create a greater need for long term care.
Norton says the aging of the “baby boom” generation and people living longer, is likely to lead to more people needing long term care.
Norton says the health care reform bill that passed last year included a provision called the “CLASS Act” which would have provided a program for long term care insurance. But Norton says since the program was voluntary it would not have been sustainable. He says since there was no mandate, not enough healthy people would have purchased the insurance to pay the expected benefits. The Obama administration has said it won’t implement that part of the Affordable Care Act. (New York Times story here)
Norton says long term care is still an important part of the health care system. He says it includes more than just Hospice or end of life care. Norton says it also includes in home care and other services.
