Glossary

This glossary provides clear, accessible definitions of key terms related to long-term services and supports (LTSS) and long-term care (LTC) financing.

Our glossary is designed to help policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and families better understand the language and concepts used in the Compendium of Federal LTSS Financing Policy Options. From activities of daily living (ADLs) to Medicaid eligibility, the glossary offers context and clarity on critical terms that shape care delivery, financing, and policy for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Click the letters OR select the term below to expand and view key term definitions.

A
Activities of Daily Living

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are basic personal care actions that people perform on a daily basis. There are six basic ADLs: (a) bathing; (b) dressing; (c) toileting; (d) transferring (moving to and from a bed or a chair); (e) eating; and (f) caring for incontinence. Many LTSS and LTC programs evaluate the inability to perform a certain number of ADLs and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in order to determine when individuals are eligible for benefits. Loss in individuals’ ability to do these basic ADLs is an objective and reliable indicator of the need for LTSS.

Adjusted Gross Income

Adjusted gross income, also known as (AGI), is defined as total income minus deductions, or
“adjustments” to income that one is eligible to take. Gross income includes wages, dividends,
capital gains, business and retirement income as well as all other forms income.

Adverse Selection

Adverse selection is a situation where one party in a transaction has significantly more
information about the product or service than the other party, allowing them to exploit that
knowledge to their advantage, often at the expense of the less informed party. The term is
typically applied to insurance markets where high-risk individuals are more likely to purchase
coverage while low-risk individuals may choose not to, leading to higher premiums for
everyone.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative form of dementia that causes severe intellectual deterioration. Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease often have problems with short-term memory and with orientation to person, place, or time. They are often able to independently perform personal care but may require supervision to keep themselves safe and to ensure that they do not wander or get lost.

Appropriation

Appropriation refers to the legislative act of putting aside a specific amount of money from the public treasury for designated purposes. It is a legally binding process that grants federal agencies the authority to incur obligations and make payments for authorized programs. Annual appropriations are made for a specified fiscal year, and funds typically expire at the end of the fiscal year. 

B
Bathing

An ADL, bathing is defined as washing by sponge bath, or in either a tub or shower. This activity also includes the task of getting into or out of the tub or shower. 

Brookings/ICF Long Term Care Financing Model

Using microsimulation techniques, this model projects the utilization and sources of financing for nursing home and home care services among the elderly to the year 2020.  It is often used to estimate future costs for a variety of LTSS finance and program proposals.

C
Cafeteria plan

A “cafeteria plan” is an employee benefit plan where employees can choose from a variety of
pre-tax benefits, similar to selecting options at a cafeteria, allowing them to customize their
benefits package by picking the ones that best suit their needs, like health insurance, dental,
vision, and flexible spending accounts (FSAs), all deducted from their paycheck before taxes
are calculated; it is also often called a “Section 125 plan” due to the IRS code that governs it
or a “flexible benefits plan.”

Care Management

Care management consists of services that help an individual and their family identify care
needs and arrange for services. These services may be provided by a Care Advisor/Manager,
usually a nurse or social worker specially trained in the LTSS field, who helps to monitor
and coordinate services to address care needs as they change over time. Care Advisors/
Managers consult with the individual and their family and develop a plan of care consistent
with their needs and preferences.

Caregiver Assessment

A caregiver assessment is a systematic process of gathering information about a caregiver’s situation, including identifying their needs, strengths, challenges, and resources to develop a supportive care plan for both the caregiver and care recipient. 

Caregiver Training

Caregiver training is an educational process equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to provide effective care for those facing health challenges. This includes basic care skills, communication techniques, emotional support skills, time management and organization, safety protocols, and understanding various medical conditions. 

Cash and Counseling

Cash and Counseling is a financial and care assistance program usually associated with
Medicaid, that gives the beneficiary cash assistance and the flexibility to “self-direct” how to
spend it on the providers and services they prefer.

Cash Benefit

A type of program payment that does not require one to receive paid care in order for them to receive a program payout.  While the participant is generally required to satisfy the specified criteria for being functionally or cognitively impaired, the benefit paid to them would be an established cash amount, without regard for whether and/or how much they spend on care or services. (Some private insurance companies also use the phrase “indemnity” to describe this type of benefit payment.   But, because that phrase can also mean a flat benefit payment amount when paid care is received, but without regard to the amount paid for care, the term “Cash Benefit” is more clear and correct for this purpose.

Catastrophic Coverage (Back-end)

This refers to a public program that has an extended waiting period before benefits are paid.  This could be measured in time (e.g., a 2 year waiting period from the onset of qualifying disability until benefits begin) or in terms of the cost and amount of services provided before benefits will begin.  Most often, catastrophic coverage has no end limit; benefits are paid for as long as care needs continue.  However, some public program models contemplate offering a “limited catastrophic plan” which may have an upper limit such as 5 years or 7 years or a specific dollar amount (e.g., one million dollars.)

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides health coverage to children who are in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but too low to afford private coverage. CHIP is managed by states and abide by federal requirements and is funded by both states and the federal governments. CHIP provides health coverage to eligible children through both Medicaid and separate CHIP programs.

Chronic Disease Management

This refers to best practice programs specifically designed to treat and support individuals with certain chronic diseases so that the best outcomes can be achieved.  They often use interdisciplinary approaches such as detection, prevention, nutrition, patient education and monitoring, exercise, counseling and more.  These structured treatment plans for people who have a chronic disease are meant to provide high quality care, reduce adverse outcomes, and in many cases reduce the costs of caring for the chronic disease.

Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive impairment is a deficiency in a person’s short or long-term memory, their
orientation to person, place and time, their deductive or abstract reasoning, or in their
judgment as it relates to safety awareness. (A well-known example of a severe cognitive
impairment is Alzheimer’s disease.)

Community Care Corps (Volunteer Caregiver Support)

The Community Care Corps is a national program supported by the Administration of Community Living that awards funds to organizations to increase the number of community- and home-based volunteer programs available to provide nonmedical assistance to family caregivers, older adults, or adults with disabilities age 18 and older to maintain independence in the community.

Companion Bill

A companion bill is an identical bill that is introduced in both the House and the Senate at roughly the same time, intended to speed up the process and increase the chances of passage by allowing simultaneous consideration.

Comprehensive Coverage

This refers to a public program that pays benefits across nearly the entire span of time during which covered persons need care.  It may have a short or small waiting period (e.g., 60 to 90 days), but it then pays benefits for as long as care is needed.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency within the legislative branch that provides Congress with objective, nonpartisan analysis and estimates related to federal economic and budgetary decisions, supporting the Congressional budget process. 

Continence

An activity of daily living (ADL), continence consists of the ability to maintain control of bowel
and bladder function, or when unable to maintain control of these functions, the ability to
perform associated personal hygiene (including caring for a catheter or colostomy bag).

Coverage Structure

Coverage Structure refers to the start time and duration over which benefits will be paid.  Specifically, once someone meets the criteria for receiving benefits, the program structure defines when benefits begin, how long they continue, and when they end. The three basic structures are front-end, back-end/catastrophic and comprehensive.  With a front-end structure, benefits begin as soon as the benefit criteria are met (or shortly thereafter if there is an elimination period).  But they only last for a limited time period (e.g., 1-2 years) or up to a certain dollar amount  In a program with a back-end catastrophic coverage structure, there is an extended period up-front where no benefits are payable (waiting period). Benefits begin after someone is disabled for the extended period of time (e.g., 2 years), but it generally continues as long as care is needed.  A comprehensive program structure pays benefits during the entire period of need.

D
Daily/Monthly Benefit Limit

The daily/monthly benefit limit is typically the maximum dollar amount that a LTC insurance
policy or program will pay to reimburse the costs of covered services. The limit is expressed
as either an amount per day or an amount per month.

Dedicated/Earmarked

“Dedicated” means to set apart for a specific purpose or use, while “earmarked” specifically refers to funds or resources that are reserved or set aside for a particular purpose or project. 

Deficit Reduction

Refers to taxation, spending, and economic policy debates and proposals designed to reduce the federal government budget deficit. Government agencies including the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the U.S. Treasury Department have reported that the federal government is facing a series of important long-run financing challenges, mainly driven by an aging population, rising healthcare costs per person, and rising interest payments on the national debt.

Direct Care Workforce

The direct care workforce consists of professionals like Home Health Aides, Personal Care Aides, Nursing Assistants, and Direct Support Professionals who provide hands-on support for daily living, personal care, and medical assistance to older adults and people with disabilities, often in homes or community settings, helping them live independently. 

Dressing

An ADL, dressing involves putting on and taking off all items of clothing and any necessary braces, fasteners, or artificial limbs. Dressing includes the ability to get to and from the closet or dresser and obtain clothing. 

Dual eligible

A dual eligible individual is someone who is eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
People can become dual eligible due to age, disability, or low income. They can enroll in
Medicare first and then qualify for Medicaid, or vice versa.

E
Eating

An ADL, eating consists of feeding by getting food into the body from a receptable (such as a plate, cup, or table) or by a feeding tube or intravenously. Eating does not mean preparing the food to be consumed. 

Elimination Period (waiting period)

The elimination period and the deductible period are insurance and program terms used
interchangeably to describe the length of time an insured person must pay for covered
services or be disabled before a LTC insurance policy or program will begin to make
payments. The longer the elimination period, the more an individual has to personally bear the
costs of care and the lower the insurance premium.

F
Facility Care Only

When program benefits pay for care provided in a nursing home or nursing care facility or an assisted living or residential care facility, but not for care at home or in the community.

Family Caregiver

A family caregiver is a person who provides care to a family member, friend, or neighbor who needs help with daily tasks. Most family caregivers are unpaid, but some may receive a stipend or be paid to help provide care. This care can be due to illness, disability, aging, mental health problems, or addiction. Family caregivers can be spouses, parents, children, siblings, or other relatives. They can also be members of a family of choice such as neighbors, friends, or the like. 

Family Medical Leave Act

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) refers to federal legislation which offers eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for significant family and medical reasons, like the birth of a child, adoption, or caring for a family member with a serious health condition, while maintaining health insurance coverage. It applies to public agencies and private companies with at least 50 employees, with some states offering more expansive, sometimes paid, leave.  

Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP)

The Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) is the federal government’s share of state Medicaid costs, determined by a formula based on each state’s per capita income. This supports caregivers through programs like HCBS. Congress can adjust the FMAP and has done so to increase it for specific Medicaid programs (e.g., Medicaid expansion or 1915(k) Community First Choice) or during an emergency (e.g., the COVID pandemic).

Flexible Spending Account

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is an employer-sponsored account that lets an individual set aside pre-tax money from their payment to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care or dependent care expenses, saving money on reducing one’s taxable income. This tax-free money can be used on certain medical expenses, like co-pays, deductibles, prescriptions, dental, and vision care.

Front-End Coverage

This refers to a public program that pays benefits from the start of eligibility for benefits, but only up to a limited dollar amount or period of time.  This may generally be set at $36,500 or $75,000 or some other amount, which roughly equates to 1 or 2 years of coverage.  A dollar amount provides more flexibility for the covered person to use benefits only on days when family care is not available so that they can make the front-end coverage last longer, from a time period perspective.

Full retirement age

Full retirement age, also known as normal retirement age, is the age at which individuals can
receive full Social Security benefits. It ranges from those who are born in 1957 or earlier who
are already eligible for full benefits, to age 67 for those born in 1960 or later.

Functional criteria

Functional criteria refer to the degree and nature of loss in the ability to perform ADLs. The
precise definition of the functional criteria is what defines the circumstances under which a
LTC insurance policy or program pays for LTSS.

G
General Appropriations

An appropriation is a legal process where a legislative body (like Congress or a state legislature) grants permission for government agencies or departments to spend money from public funds.  The purpose of an appropriation is to authorize spending for specific programs, projects, or activities

Guaranteed Issue

This refers to a very streamlined underwriting or medical screening used to qualify someone for long term care insurance.  It is generally only used for policies sold to actively-at-work employees on a group policy.  This means they are automatically eligible for the coverage simply because they are currently actively at work for a pre-defined number of hours per week and for a certain period prior to the offer of the insurance policy.

H
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 clarified the tax treatment of LTC insurance premiums and benefits, created standards that policies must meet to be deemed as a tax-qualified (TQ) LTC policy. The IRS treats LTC insurance premiums and LTC costs as medical expenses that are deductible under certain circumstances (e.g., age-based limits). 

Health Savings Account

Health Savings Account (HSA) is a type of savings account that lets individuals set aside money on a pre-tax basis to use as needed, to pay for qualified medical expenses. By using untaxed dollars in an HSA to pay for deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and other expenses not covered by insurance (e.g., vision, dental, or medications), individuals may be able to lower out-of-pocket health care costs. Only someone who has a qualified health insurance policy that is eligible as a High-Deductible Health Plan can establish an HSA. An HSA may earn interest or other earnings, which are not taxable. Banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions offer HSAs.

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS):

Home and community-based services (HCBS) refer to a broad range of services provided in the home or community when someone needs help with ADLs or IADLs due to a cognitive impairment or other physical or mental disability. HCBS includes skilled nursing and personal care, adult day care, respite care, home-delivered meals, in-home or community-based therapies and supports, transportation, habilitation, residential supports, hospice care, nutrition care, medication management, and more. 

Home Health Care Services

Home health care services include a wide range of services that can be received in the home, aimed at helping patients recover, manage chronic conditions, and regain independence. Home health care services typically involve skilled nursing, therapy, and aide services for support with medication management, rehabilitation, wound care, and other elements as needed. 

Hospice Care

Hospice care focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end of life. Similar to palliative care, hospice care provides comprehensive care to the family. Hospice is provided for a person with a terminal illness whose doctor believes he or she has six months or less to live.

I
Immediate Life Annuity

This is an insurance product purchased with a single premium payment (i.e., lump sum of money) to an insurance company.  Shortly after purchase, the buyer receives a guaranteed income stream payout as specified in the terms of the insurance contract.  This is a retirement insurance product that is used to convert a defined amount of savings into a guaranteed stream of income, often paid out for the individual’s life.

Inflation Adjustment

Inflation adjustment is a policy provision that allows benefit payments to increase over time,
either automatically or periodically. These increases help coverage keep pace with inflationdriven
increases in the costs of care. Inflation protection provisions are structured in many
different ways. The insured generally chooses from several options for how they want this
provision to work within their policy, or they can choose not to have their benefits increase
over time.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are activities that allow an individual to live independently in a community. The major domains of IADLs include cooking, cleaning, transportation, laundry, and managing finances. IADLs require more advanced skills than basic ADLs.

Internal Revenue Code

The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986 is the domestic portion of federal statutory tax law in the U.S. It covers federal income tax, payroll tax, and estate, gift and excise taxes. 

L
Licensed Health Care Practitioner

A licensed health care practitioner, as defined within Chapter 26 of the U.S Code Section 7702B(c)(4), is any physician and any registered nurse, licensed social worker, or other individual who meets such requirements as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Health and Health Services.

Lifespan Respite Care Program

The Lifespan Respite Care Program provides temporary relief for family caregivers of children and adults across all age groups, disabilities, and chronic conditions. Since 2009, the federal government has awarded grants to state agencies to provide accessible, community-based respite care services.

Lifetime Benefit Limit

The Lifetime Benefit Limit is the maximum dollar benefit an individual may receive under an
insurance policy, plan, or program. Once the lifetime limit is reached, no additional benefits
or payments will be made.

Long-term care (LTC)

LTC is a term used interchangeably with LTSS.

Long-term services and supports (LTSS)

Long term services and supports (LTSS) encompass the broad range of paid and unpaid medical and personal care services that assist with ADLs and IADLs. LTSS are provided to people who need care because of aging, chronic illness, or disability. LTSS includes institutional care and care provided in the community known as HCBS. LTSS includes nursing facility care, adult day care, home health aide, personal care services, transportation, and more. LTSS may be provided over a period of several weeks, months, or year.

M
Mandatory

Mandatory refers to the requirement that anyone and everyone who meets the eligibility
requirements for a specified program is required to enroll/participate in it. The only exception
might be if conditions or time periods for the ability to “opt out” are specified in the program
rules.

Medicaid

Medicaid is jointly financed and administered by federal and state governments authorized under Title XIX of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965. It pays for health care services for those with very limited assets and low incomes, or those who have very high medical bills in relation to their income and/or assets. 

Medicaid Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) Waivers

Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Service (HCBS) waivers are state-run programs allowing Medicaid to fund long-term care services in homes or communities instead of institutions, like nursing homes. States can offer a variety of services under an HCBS waiver program, including case management, homemaker, home health aide, personal care, adult day health services, habitation, and respite care.

Medicaid Self-Directed LTSS Program

A Medicaid Self-Directed LTSS Program is a delivery model that prioritizes personal choice and control, allowing people with LTSS needs to live in their home or a home-like setting in the community. Self-direction is an HCBS delivery model that allows the individual choice in their service provider(s) and control over the amount, duration, and scope of services and supports in their person-centered service plan.

Medicare

Medicare is the federal program organized under the Health Insurance for the Aged Act, Title
XVIII of the Social Security Amendments of 1965. It provides hospital and medical expense
benefits for persons age 65+, or those meeting specific disability standards. Benefits for
nursing facility and home health services under Medicare are very limited.

Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage consists of Medicare-approved plans from private companies that offer alternatives to traditional Medicare for health care coverage. These “bundled” plans include Part A, Part B, and usually Part D. Plans may offer some extra benefits that traditional Medicare does not (e.g., limited dental, vision, hearing, etc.) 

Medicare Part A

This refers to the Hospital Insurance portion of Medicare that pays for inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some limited home health care. Most people receive Part A for free because they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years, but some may need to pay a monthly premium.

Medicare Part B

This part of Medicare coverage pays medically necessary services and supplies outside of a hospital stay, such as outpatient care, preventative services, and doctor visits.  Individuals generally pay a monthly premium for Part B ($206.50 in 2026) and must also satisfy a $288 deductible before they can receive benefits.  There is also generally a 20% copayment on covered care.

Modified Guaranteed Issue (MGI).

This is another type of underwriting or medical screening used to determine if someone can qualify for long term care insurance.  It is significantly abbreviated when compared to the full underwriting generally used for purchase of individual long term care insurance.  Typically, someone would qualify for a policy under MGI if they do not currently need long term care and are currently independent in their activities of daily living and do not have any cognitive impairment.  They also must not have one of a handful of neurodegenerative diseases that are strongly associated with the need for long term care such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons’ disease and others.

Money Follows the Person (MFP)

Money Follows the Person (MFP) refers to a federal demonstration program that aims to shift long-term care spending from institutions to HCBS. MFP allow Medicaid funds to follow the individual and provides enhanced federal funding during their first year of transition, allowing them to live independently and promoting care in the community. 

Multisector Plan for Aging

A multisector plan for aging (MPA) is an umbrella term for a state-led, multi-year planning process that convenes cross-sector agencies and stakeholders to collaboratively address the needs of older adults, and some plans also include people with disabilities.

N
National Association of Insurance Commissioners

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is a trade association of state
insurance commissioners that issues model insurance acts and regulations that states can
adopt.

National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)

Established in 2000, the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) provides grants to states and territories to fund various supports that help family and informal caregivers care for older adults in their homes for as long as possible. Specifically, it provides information to caregivers about available services, assistance to caregivers in gaining access to the services, individual counseling, organization of support groups, and caregiver training, respite care, and supplemental services.

O
Organic Brain Dysfunction

Organic brain dysfunction or organic brain disorder is an older, umbrella term for impaired mental functioning (cognition, memory, behavior, mood) caused by a known physical or psychological brain issue, often resulting from injury, diseases (like Alzheimer’s Disease), infection, or toxins, now often called a neurocognitive disorder. Symptoms include confusion, memory loss, personality changes, or delirium.

P
PACE

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a Medicare and Medicaid program
that helps people meet their health care needs in the community instead of going to a
nursing facility or other care facility.

Palliative Care

Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for people with serious illnesses and their caregivers. The major elements of palliative care include managing a person’s symptoms effectively and ensuring that their care is coordinated. Palliative care can start as early as a person’s diagnosis or not until later in their illness, and it can occur alongside other types of treatment for the disease.

Partnership-qualified long-term care insurance plan

A partnership qualified LTC insurance plan is a type of private LTC coverage that allows
individuals to keep some additional assets beyond the usual Medicaid impoverishment limits,
if they apply for Medicaid after using up the benefits of private LTC coverage. The amount of
“spend down protection” received (i.e., the additional amount of assets individuals can keep)
is equal to the amount of benefits paid to under a private Partnership policy.

Person-centered care

Person-centered care (PCC) is a way of delivering health care that focuses on the needs of each individual and takes account and places at the center of care their goals, values, and preferences. It is based on the idea that people should be treated as individuals, not just as a bundle of conditions to be treated. 

Personal Health Information

Personal health information refers to confidential data related to an individual’s health, which must be protected according to the privacy rules outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and state laws.

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC)

The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), offers clinical support, education, and financial support to family caregivers of eligible Veterans with serious service-connected injuries or illnesses needing significant personal care, aiming to support the caregiver’s well-being alongside the Veteran’s. Benefits can include stipends, health insurance, mental health counseling, respite care, and training, provided the Veteran requires daily help with at least one ADL.

Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS)

The Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative offering support like peer mentoring, coaching, skills training, and online resources to caregivers of Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, helping them manage caregiver responsibilities, connect with others, and enhance their skills without requiring specific family ties with the Veteran.

Public Health Service Act (PHSA)

The Public Health Service Act (PHSA) is a federal statute that grants authority to the Department of Health and Human Services to enforce quarantine regulations, prevent communicable diseases, develop plans to control epidemics, and respond to public health emergencies.

Q
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program

This is a state program to help low-income individuals pay for the out of pocket expenses (deductibles, premiums, and copayments) associated with Medicare.  Individuals qualify for the QMB program support once they meet specified income and asset limits.

R
RAISE Family Caregiver Act

The RAISE (Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage) Family Caregivers Act is a 2018 U.S. law directing the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategy to support family caregivers, recognizing their vital role in elder care, disability support, and chronic illness management by creating a roadmap with actions for federal, state, and private sectors to improve caregiver access to education, financial security, training, and respite services.

Related Bill

A related bill is a legislative measure that shares significant text, purpose, or subject matter with another bill. These are identified by Congress.gov, the House, the Senate, or the Congressional Research Service to help track similar legislative action. A bill that was introduced in a prior session of Congress would be considered a related bill to the current version.

Research, Demonstration, and Evaluation Center for the Aging Network

The Research, Demonstration, and Evaluation Center for the Aging Network, which the Administration for Community Living refers to as the ACL Innovation Lab, was created in 2023 in effort to identify, test, and scale effective programs for older adults, focusing on areas like falls prevention.

Respite care

Respite care is temporary care in a nursing facility, assisted living facility, adult day care center, or at home or community-based setting. Respite care is intended to provide time off for informal caregivers who ordinarily care for individuals on a regular basis. Respite care is usually short-term – typically 14 to 21 days of care per year. 

S
Service-based Disability Payment.

This is like a cash benefit payment; however, it is only paid to the care recipient if there is evidence of provision of a service or that a service-related expenses has been incurred.  Quite often, the disability payment amount may be pre-established without regard to the service costs or expenditures, but it is not paid unless a service is provided or an expense is incurred.  In contrast, a pure cash disability payment is triggered only upon the individual satisfying a specified level and type of disability (e.g., loss in 2 or more ADLs) and does not additionally require the use of services.

Social insurance

Social insurance is a universally funded financial safety net administered by the government.
Programs include Social Security, unemployment insurance, and Medicare, among others.
Social insurance differs from public assistance based on funding sources. Social insurance is
funded by contributions of each citizen who benefits from the services (typically through a
tax on payroll or premium) rather than exclusively on general tax revenues.

Social Security

Social security is a U.S. federal insurance program providing retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, funded by payroll taxes from workers and employers, offering financial security for eligible Americans when they can’t work or after retirement. Social security is administered by the Social Security Administration. 

Standard Occupational Classification System

The Standard Occupational Classification system is federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data.

State Plan Amendment (SPA)

State Plan Amendment (SPA) is the formal procedure and documentation that a state is
required to use when it is planning to make a change in its Medicaid program coverage or
administrative or eligibility procedures.

Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act

The Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRC) Act of 2018 established a federal Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, tasking it with identifying and disseminating resources, best resources, and information to help relative caregivers meet children’s help, education, nutrition, and other needs while maintaining their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

T
Tax Credit

A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar amount taxpayers claim on their tax return to reduce the income tax they owe. Eligible taxpayers can use them to reduce their tax bill and potentially increase their refund.

Tax Deduction

A tax deduction reduces the amount of a taxpayer’s income that’s subject to tax, generally reducing the amount of tax the individual may have to pay. Most taxpayers qualify for the standard deduction, a specific dollar amount the IRS adjusts each year for inflation, and some taxpayers choose to itemize their deductions.

Tax-qualified long-term care insurance plan

A tax-qualified LTC insurance plan is a policy that conforms to certain standards in federal
law and offers certain federal tax advantages to people buying the policy.

Technical assistance (TA)

Technical assistance (TA) is a category of activities undertaken by federal agencies and grant recipients to provide resources to stakeholders to assist with navigating the federal grant process and to increase the capacity of grant applicants and recipients to apply for, and manage, federal grant funding.

Toileting

An activity of daily living (ADL), toileting involves getting to and from, and on and off the
toilet, and performing associated personal hygiene.

Transferring

An activity of daily living (ADL), transferring involves moving into and out of a bed, chair or
wheelchair.

Transforming Healthcare Structures

This refers to finance reform that includes a combination of approaches from various categories that include expanding Medicare, reforming Medicaid structures, creating a new program, and/or introducing incentives for private market performance improvements and expansion.

U
Universal

Universal refers to the type of coverage where anyone and everyone who meets the eligibility
requirements for a specified program is required to enroll/participate in it. The only exception
might be if conditions or time periods for the ability to “opt out” are specified in the program
requirements.

V
VA Caregiver Support Program (CSP)

The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Caregiver Support Program (CSP) offers clinical services to caregivers of eligible and covered Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. The program’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of family caregivers who care for the nation’s Veterans, through education, resources, support, and services.

Voluntary

In the context of a public insurance program, voluntary refers to the fact that participation in the program is at the discretion of the individuals eligible to participate.  It is not mandatory, but optional to them whether or not they participate.