Long-Term Care Social Insurance Programs and the Home Care Workforce: A Crucial Investment

Better Aging and Policy Consulting is proud to partner with the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) to author a three-part series about long-term care social insurance and the home care workforce.

The first part of the series explains the growing crisis in long-term care. More people than ever need long-term care, but we don’t have the workforce to provide those services or the funding to pay for those services. Meanwhile, the existing home care workforce shortage is only getting worse.

The second part of the series explores how states can strengthen long-term care for older adults, people with disabilities, family caregivers, and care workers. A growing number of states are exploring whether a social insurance program, which would fund a long-term care benefit through a moderate payroll tax, is the best way to address the long-term care crisis. By bringing vital funding into this under-funded sector, it also creates opportunities to invest in the home care workforce and improve job quality.

The third part of the series (coming later in November 2025) will outline policy recommendations to support and invest in the home care workforce. States can choose from options (identified through key informant interviews) that will help ensure there is a quality workforce to deliver new benefits made available through new long-term care funding programs.