In Partnership with
While many mistakenly believe Medicare is the primary source of health coverage for home or nursing care over a long period, the reality is that Medicaid serves as the backbone of our country’s long-term care system. Medicaid is the primary source of funding for long-term care in the U.S., paying well over half of the $415 billion spent annually on long-term care for more than 9 million people in need of long-term services and supports. This includes 7.8 million older adults and people with disabilities who receive services in their homes and communities – services that are supported by both paid and unpaid caregivers.
Medicaid serves a critical role in supporting these caregivers, both by providing health coverage and supporting the economic stability of family caregivers and paying for the vast majority of direct care workers. Yet, with passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 Concurrent Budget Resolution this week, Congress continues to actively push forward a plan that would threaten to drastically cut Medicaid. Such cuts would force states to make painful choices around limiting eligibility, reducing benefits, or decreasing payments to providers such as those who employ direct care workers, including personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants that millions of seniors and people with disabilities rely on.
Family caregivers, direct care workers, older adults, and people with disabilities rely on Medicaid to remain in their homes and communities, allowing them to live and age with dignity. Supporting Medicaid is foundational to supporting families and the long-term care system.
Read more about how Medicaid supports seniors and people with disabilities and their caregivers in our brief here.