The U.S. lacks a universal long-term care program, and Medicaid has become the largest single payer of long-term care costs in the U.S. Meanwhile, individual states like Washington are pursuing innovative social insurance approaches to providing affordable and accessible long-term care.
Other countries have had universal long-term care programs for decades, and these programs offer many lessons for policymakers, advocates, and researchers. The session features Benjamin Veghte, author of a new issue brief, Designing Universal Long-Term Services and Supports Programs: Lessons from Germany and Other Countries. Veghte also directs the WA Cares Fund, the state’s long-term care social insurance program. He offers insights into the approaches taken by other countries, as well as his experience establishing a universal long-term care program in the U.S.