Medicaid report falls short: group

Recent reform recommendations by the Medicaid Commission don’t address the long-term care field’s dangerous reliance on Medicaid, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging said. The AAHSA backs a social-insurance model for long-term-care to create a sustainable funding stream "not contingent on federal programs or state budgets," said Larry Minnix, its president and chief executive officer. The HHS-appointed Medicaid Commission issued a final report on Dec. 29 containing recommendations it approved in November. Among other proposals, the commission recommended using tax incentives to encourage individuals and employers to purchase long-term-care insurance, and it said states should have more flexibility to design their Medicaid programs. Minnix said tax incentives alone won’t cover the cost of long-term care. Other critics have said giving states more flexibility to manage Medicaid programs could lead to cost-shifting and denial of necessary care.