The New York Caring Majority calls for inclusion of long-term care in the New York Health Act

The Caring Majority notes that people who retire at age 65 today can expect to live until 82 for men and nearly 87 for women, but 70 percent of people will need some kind of long-term care, which at $100,000 or more a year almost no one can afford. So, most families rely on Medicaid, which families must “impoverish” themselves to qualify for. This system is hard on those needing care, on the (mostly female) caregivers who often have to step in to care for parents or spouses when professional care is out of financial reach, and on workers in a system where wages sometimes lag.