LAUSR

Dear President-elect and Members of Congress, Among the long list of policy issues, you will need to tackle in the coming weeks, months, and years, is the challenge of providing long-term care to those who need it most. The US population is aging, and the cost of providing long-term services and supports (LTSS) is increasingly unsustainable for both individuals and for society at large. Policy-makers have tried, but ultimately failed, to put in place measures that would provide for a sustainable, affordable system for comprehensively providing and funding LTSS going forward. The most notable recent examples were under President Obama. First, there was the inclusion of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act legislation in the Affordable Care Act, a measure that would have provided for a public long-term care insurance option, but which was quickly repealed. Following that, Commission on Long-term Care was established and comprised of presidential and congressional appointees. The Commission issued its final report in 2013, including several recommendations for LTSS delivery, but ultimately failing to propose a sustainable financing option (Commission on Long-Term Care, 2013). With more than $300 billion a year being spent on formal LTSS, and even more provided by informal caregivers (Chari, Engberg, Ray, & Mehrotra, 2015; Reaves & Musumeci, 2015), the current and future economic toll of LTSS needs cannot be ignored by the new administration. Coming up with an equitable and economical solution will require the collective wisdom of a wide spectrum of professionals. Gerontological social workers should be included in that group, as they are in a unique position to play a key role in informing the discussion about LTSS policy.