For a second consecutive year the RAISE Family Caregiver Act Advisory Council report to Congress contains strategic policy and practice recommendations. Unique this year, is combining the RAISE council with the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act Advisory Council as well. Together, these recommendations paint a comprehensive long-term care ecosystem involving 345 commitments from 15 different federal agencies. The first of its kind, this broader vision looking beyond payer and provider data that too long been the measurement of our national care system.
Giving Voice to the Hidden Family Caregivers
I applaud the two councils for listening to consumers and not just the medical experts. To be candid, the real experts in long-term care are the family caregivers who perform all the daily tasks. Without the selfless, quiet everyday sacrifices, our national budget would explode.
Here is one recommendation made by caregivers. Health insurance is tied to employment, when a caregiver leaves meaningful employment, this benefit dries up. This report urges congress to enable caregivers to extend COBRA throughout the care journey. The council has many similar recommendations that work within existing government regulations in new and expansive ways.
RAISE Your Voice
RAISE federal comment period opens on October 1. I encourage you to add your perspective to the conversation. We each see the system, or lack thereof, from a different vantage point. Join the effort to construct a care system that works for all of us. Special Thanks to The John A. Hartford Foundation, the Retirement Research Foundation, and the National Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP) created the RAISE Act Family Caregiver Resource and Dissemination Center.
RAISE is a combination of public and private entities and advocates. They volunteered their time and expertise on this amazing report. Thank you!
