USA Today opinion piece advocates publicly financed LTC insurance

Here's an excerpt:

"Congress and President Obama could create a system of universal long-term care insurance, built on a combination of public and private coverage. They could end the reliance of millions on the welfare-like Medicaid system while reducing the tremendous pressure that program is putting on both state and federal budgets. And, they could further shift the focus of long-term assistance to community care instead of nursing facilities.

But sadly, there is a real risk that millions of the frail elderly and disabled like Natalie will be forgotten. While lawmakers are focused on expanding insurance to cover acute care — such as visits to doctors and hospitals — they are largely ignoring those chronically ill who need mostly personal assistance rather than high-tech medicine.

This is how strange the system is: If you are 65 or older and suffer a heart attack, Medicare will spend tens of thousands of dollars to perform life-saving surgery. But if you are living with congestive heart failure — among the most common diseases of the elderly — you are largely on your own. That's because there is no aggressive treatment for most heart failure patients. More than anything, they need help getting through the day.  And Medicare won't pay for that.

It is the same for those with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, and for younger people with disabilities who might be living with diseases such as multiple sclerosis, or with traumatic brain or spinal chord injuries. Unless they are impoverished and eligible for Medicaid, they get little government help."

Read the full article:  http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/05/what-about-long-term-care.html