FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2013

Long Term Care Commission Should Right the Imbalance In How Medicaid Pays for Long Term Services and Supports

WASHINGTON, DC — President Obama has recently appointed the final members of the Commission on Long Term Care. We congratulate the 15 members on their appointment and wish them luck with the work ahead. Over the next six months, the Commission must accomplish one objective: develop a plan for the establishment, implementation and financing of a comprehensive, coordinated, and high-quality system that ensures the availability of long-term services and supports (LTSS) for individuals who need LTSS.

 We believe that this plan must address the current imbalance that exists in payment for much of LTSS. Unfortunately, Medicaid, the nation’s largest payer of LTSS, continues to give preference to the provision of LTSS in institutions such as nursing homes instead of at home and in the community. As a result, many low-income older adults who could be receiving care at home are unnecessarily moved into institutions.

We believe that the foundation of a comprehensive LTSS system should be a high quality, accessible network of home and community-based services that supports individuals so that they may live with dignity and independence at home and in the community. Over a decade ago, the Supreme Court clarified the civil right of integrated, community living in its landmark Olmstead decision; subsequent to that decision, much has changed in how the nation perceives and provides LTSS.

However, Medicaid’s emphasis on institutional care remains. The time is now to correct this imbalance and finally shift the delivery of Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports away from institutions and into the community.

A Policy Issue Brief with our recommendations to the Commission can be found on our website.



The National Senior Citizens Law Center is a non-profit organization whose principal mission is to protect the rights of low-income older adults. Through advocacy, litigation, and the education and counseling of local advocates, we seek to ensure the health and economic security of those with limited income and resources, and access to the courts for all. For more information, visit our Web site at www.NSCLC.org.

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Contact: Scott L. Parkin
202.683-1996 direct
703.975.1769 cell
sparkin(dot)nscl(dot)org