America's long-term care system needs help: Can Europe provide a model for how to improve it?

AI Summary

The article examines the financial, logistical, and emotional difficulties faced by Americans seeking long-term care. It questions whether European approaches could offer a model for improving access and affordability, noting that private insurance is often unaffordable and Medicaid eligibility can require people to spend down their assets.

For millions of Americans, long-term care presents enormous financial, logistical and emotional challenges. Private long-term care insurance is prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable, and most older Americans aren't eligible for Medicaid until they exhaust nearly all their financial resources.