Medicaid is the single largest payer of long-term care costs in the U.S. When many older Americans and their families face unmanageable long-term care costs, they often turn to Medicaid to help cover these costs. However, as previous NIRS research has shown, how older Americans can access long-term care through Medicaid varies widely from state-to-state due to the discretion states have in setting eligibility rules. Many expect Congress to include significant cuts to Medicaid as part of the budget-setting process this year. Depending on the size of the cuts and how those potential cuts are implemented in the states, there is a risk that some older Americans who rely on Medicaid could face challenges accessing and maintaining their long-term care coverage.
NIRS and Justice in Aging presented a webinar on Thursday, May 8th to discuss how older Americans access long-term care through Medicaid and the risks to that care as a result of potential Medicaid cuts.