Investigators from University of Pennsylvania Report New Data on Managed Care (The Evolution of Long-term Care and Health Policy In the United States): Managed Care

2025 NOV 28 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Managed Care. According to news originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Long-term care policy has been neglected for decades in the United States because of high costs, leaving middle-class families struggling to afford care. Many rely on unpaid caregivers, who face significant financial and emotional burdens.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Pennsylvania, “Historically, long-term care was a family or community responsibility, but in 1965, with the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, Medicaid became the default payer for long-term care. However, Medicaid only supports low-income individuals and does so incompletely. Medicare pays for long-term care only incidentally and temporarily by providing postacute care in nursing homes and at home. Private insurance is rare because of affordability and policy constraints. Unpaid caregivers fill in the gaps. While the system has evolved over time, most notably shifting from institutional settings to home-based settings, significant gaps remain. The result is a fragmented system that does not work well for most people. It is possible to reform long-term care through options including expanding Medicaid coverage, incorporating long-term care into Medicare, or creating a new social insurance program. Each option requires significant government funding and political commitment.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Without action, the current system will continue to fail aging individuals and their families.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: The Evolution of Long-term Care and Health Policy In the United States. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 2025;50(6):1037-1058. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law can be contacted at: Duke Univ Press, 905 W Main St, Ste 18-B, Durham, NC 27701, USA.

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Rachel M. Werner, University of Pennsylvania, Hlth Care Management & Econ, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. Additional authors for this research include Allison K. Hoffman and R. Tamara Konetzka.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-11995144. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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