Heath Care Package Might Include In-Home Care
By EDWIN CHEN
TIMES STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON—In a major new health care initiative, President: Clinton has tentatively decided that every severely disabled American, regardless of age or financial means, should have insurance coverage for long- term care at home, sources said Tuesday.

The new $15.4-billion annual benefit is to be included in the core package of medical insurance benefits being designed by the Administration as a nationwide standard for all Americans, especially the estimated 37 million without insurance, sources said.

The long-term care coverage would provide all eligible Americans assistance with at-home activities of daily living, such as meal preparation, cleaning and dressing.

Many details of the program remain unclear, such as how White House Task Force on National Health Care Reform, chaired by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, arrived at the cost figural and how specifically the program to be paid for.

Health care analysts say that as much as 89% of long-term horn care is now provided for free by relatives and friends.

"It's very easy to spend $30. to $40,000 a year on intensive home care, but the average figures are a lot lower than that—in part because people don't get enough. That's why all the numbers are so soft," said Edward F. Howard, executive vice president of the Alliance for Health Reform, a non-partisan, note-for-profit Washington organization.

Please see INSURE, A19 (unavailable at this time)

Created on

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Posted on

Wednesday 7 August 2019

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