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Gore Proposes $30 Billion Eldercare Initiative

Wed, 06/07/2000 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
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Al Gore announced a $30 billion program of eldercare initiatives. The core of his proposal is a $3,000-per-year tax credit for families providing long-term care at home for an elderly or disabled relative. He also proposes the creation of a grant program for communities to provide adult day care and respite care to give stressed-out caregivers an occasional break which will cost $2.5 billion over 10 years.

Gore also is proposing the creation of a single national resource center for caregivers where, for example, a daughter in New York could find out how to help her mother who just broke her hip in Florida. Since Medicaid is largest payer for long-term care services, Gore also wants to eliminate the bias in the current Medicaid program for nursing home care. He is proposing to allow states and communities to expand Medicaid coverage to home- and community-based services that would keep the elderly and disabled out of nursing homes, such as transportation and housekeeping services.

Al Gore announced a $30 billion program of eldercare initiatives. The core of his proposal is a $3,000-per-year tax credit for families providing long-term care at home for an elderly or disabled relative. He also proposes the creation of a grant program for communities to provide adult day care and respite care to give stressed-out caregivers an occasional break which will cost $2.5 billion over 10 years.

Gore also is proposing the creation of a single national resource center for caregivers where, for example, a daughter in New York could find out how to help her mother who just broke her hip in Florida. Since Medicaid is largest payer for long-term care services, Gore also wants to eliminate the bias in the current Medicaid program for nursing home care. He is proposing to allow states and communities to expand Medicaid coverage to home- and community-based services that would keep the elderly and disabled out of nursing homes, such as transportation and housekeeping services.