As Congress looks for ways to reduce the federal deficit, Medicaid is in the spotlight. Last week, the GOP-led House passed a budget framework that allows both chambers of Congress to work on a major budget plan they expect to pass without any Democratic votes. Some House Republicans have called for it to include reductions in Medicaid spending.
Family caregivers and people needing long-term care could be hard-hit by cuts to the program.
Medicaid, jointly funded by the federal and state governments, is the nation’s health insurance program for low-income people. But it is also the single biggest source of money for long-term care for disabled and elderly people, paying more than half the $415 billion spent on these services every year. Medicare, the program for people over 65, does not pay for long nursing-home stays or for ongoing in-home help.
Read more at NPR