LeadingAge: A New Vision for Long-Term Services and Supports

Overview

Type of Reform: Creating a New Program

Description: Goals to develop a fairer and more rational financing system to ensure access to quality LTSS. Recommends a flexible and universal LTSS insurance program grounded in the principles of shared risk and consumer flexibility. Re-directs health and LTC dollars already in the system and creates new funding that relies on a universal public catastrophic insurance program that insures against the risk of long periods of high need.

Sponsoring Organization and Key Author(s):​

Sponsoring Organization: LeadingAge is an association of not-for-profit and mission-driven organizations dedicated to delivering high-quality LTSS. Members include providers, state partners, consumer group, research partners, and foundations. LeadingAge is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization focused on education, advocacy, and research.

Key Author: Lead by Pathways Task Force, overseen by Olivia Mastry, with expertise from a panel of policy, academic, research, advocacy, and practice professionals and experts. Actuarial analysis and modeling provided by Milliman, Urban Institute, and ATI.

Represents provider association, in collaboration with policy and advocacy experts, proposing finance reform and offering options and solutions.

Program Details

Participation Criteria

Universal and mandatory enrollment.

Not specified.

Not specified.

Not specified; recommends benefits be paid based on a “managed cash” benefit structure, provides individuals with flexibility to use a mix of LTSS that best meet their needs (similar to Medicaid’s Cash and Counseling program).

Eligible individuals are responsible for LTSS expenses (or care) during an initial two-year elimination period.

Benefits begin after the individual has met the functional or cognitive criteria for benefit eligibility for at least two years.

Not specified.

Not specified.

Not specified.

Financing & Implementation

Revenue Source(s)

Not specified.

None estimated.

Not specified.

  • Recommends that private LTC insurance be used to finance care during the two-year elimination period.
  • Views presence of a public insurance program as a catalyst for innovation in a reinvigorated private LTC insurance market.

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