National Academy of Social Insurance, at its Policy Conference, Raises Issue of Caregiving

            The National Academy of Social Insurance convened its 31^st Annual Policy Conference last week in Washington, D.C. This year, the theme of the January 31, 2019 all-day session was “Regenerating Social Insurance for Millennials & the Millenium.” It was one of the best conferences I have attended in recent years! The collection of the conference background materials and essays can be found at this link: https://secure.nasi.org/regenerating-social-insurance-for-millennials-and-the-millennium/.

            Workers’ compensation and it concerns were not, notably, a feature of the various discussions. However, a repeated area of consideration was the future of caregiving, both of the young and the old. And, of course, all in our field know that those who take care of others are often exerting themselves significantly, and injury often results. The issue of insurance and workers’ compensation coverage then arises.

            A top legal scholar in this area, notably, is Professor Peggie Smith of Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. See https://law.wustl.edu/faculty-staff-directory/profile/peggie-r-smith/. She has many of her publications listed at that website, but I have long known of her article, Home Sweet Home? Workplace Casualties of Consumer Directed Home Care for the Elderly, 21 Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy 537 (2007).

            If the Academy follows its usual procedure, videos of the Millennials Conference sessions will also soon be posted. A definite recommendation!