Forbes is reporting Long Term Care Issues are not a top issue for presidential candidates. An exception is Newt Gingrich. Forbes reveals:
Gingrich, who has shown real interest in long-term care issues in the past, was typically provocative though sometimes contradictory and often not specific. The former speaker used the survey as a platform to renew his calls for repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act, turning Medicare from a guaranteed federal benefit into a defined contribution program, and replacing the existing Medicaid system with a federal block grant.
Gingrich said consumers should be able to use tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Savings Accounts to buy long-term care insurance. This is somewhat curious since Gingrich has also proposeda flat income tax system that would seem to effectively end HSAs and FSAs.
Still Gingrich also said he’d “promote new models of care” that focus on primary medical care and home care. He also embraced the use of new assistive devices, though he didn’t say how consumers would pay for them.
In addition, Gingrich said Medicare should cover training for family caregivers. This is a very interesting idea through it is not clear how such a mandate would be implemented once Gingrich shifts Medicare to a largely private insurance model.
via Long-Term Care Services: Forgotten By Most Presidential Candidates – Forbes.