Providing Our Seniors With Quality Long-term Health Care

Long-term care facilities are playing an increasingly important role in our health care system, and it is estimated that almost half of those Americans who are now 65 or older will use a nursing home at some point in their lives. These numbers will only increase as the rising tide of baby boomers turn into grandparents, putting even greater pressure on our long-term care system.

I am committed to ensuring that our nation's frail, elderly and disabled citizens have access to the highest quality care, and I was honored to have recently received the "Leading Light of Long-Term Care Award" in recognition of my efforts.

More than 1.6 million frail and disabled Americans rely on Medicare and Medicaid every day for their critical long-term care needs. Just as we have a responsibility to ensure that the care provided by our nursing homes is of the highest quality, we also have an obligation to ensure that funding provided through Medicare and Medicaid is adequate to cover the cost of their care.

That is one of the reasons that I fought so hard in 2003 to provide an additional ten billion for Medicaid so states could continue to protect the millions of vulnerable Americans who depend on the program as a critical safety net. As a consequence of my efforts, Maine received an additional $65.6 million in Medicaid funding.

And that is why I have continued to oppose deep cuts in Medicaid and Medicare that have threatened to jeopardize both access to skilled nursing services and the quality of care in nursing homes.

At the same time, I also think that we must do more to encourage Americans to plan and prepare for their own long-term care needs. Most Americans mistakenly believe that Medicare or their private insurance policies will cover the costs of long-term care should they develop a chronic illness or cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, far too many do not discover that they do not have coverage until they are confronted with the difficult decision of placing a frail parent or loved one in long-term care, and face the shocking realization that they will have to cover the costs themselves.

Americans should think about and plan for their future long-term care needs just as they plan for their retirement or purchase life insurance to protect their families. Private planning for long-term care through the purchase of long-term care insurance will not only provide families with greater financial security, but it will also ease the growing burden on Medicaid and strengthen the ability of that program to serve as a safety-net for those Americans most in need.

Moreover, private long-term care insurance provides Americans with a greater choice in the type of services they can receive. Policies generally cover a wide variety of services, ranging from personal assistance with activities of daily living – such as bathing, eating, and dressing – to 24-hour skilled nursing care. Many policies also cover assisted living, home care, adult day care and respite care, giving seniors greater flexibility and enabling them to retain the dignity of choice in their retirement years.

I have therefore joined with my colleagues, Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, in cosponsoring the Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act. This critically important, bipartisan bill will encourage more Americans to plan for their future long-term care needs by providing a tax deduction to help them purchase private long-term care insurance. At the same time, it will give a tax credit of up to $3,000 to help those families already struggling to provide long-term care for a frail or disabled loved one.

I will continue to ensure that our nation's most vulnerable populations continue to have access to the quality care and services that they need. I encourage all Mainers to do their part to prepare for possible future long-term health care needs.

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