Description: Family caregivers are a critical link in providing long-term services and supports (LTSS), but they have significant unmet needs. To better support family caregivers, Congress authorized the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act in 2018 and created the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council. The Council identified recommendations to serve as the backbone of a national strategy to improve the physical, emotional and financial well-being of family caregivers. A new report, "Asking Directions: Mapping a Course to Support Family Caregivers," identifies specific actions across a variety of players for meeting the Council’s recommendations. It summarizes insights from a year’s worth of strategy sessions and interviews with representatives of over 100 organizations. The report brings together thoughts on best practices and the most critical action steps from national and state organizations, county health providers, the direct care workforce, large and small employers, aging and disability organizations, faith-based groups, respite care providers and more. This article summarizes the research methods and key findings of the report and the work conducted by the Leading Age LTSS Center @UMass Boston and Community Catalyst’s Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation.

Description: In this video Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries Research Institutue, presents finding from a report on state-based catastrophic insurance coverage for long-term care in cases of conditions like dementia, ALS, and multiple sclerosis. Focusing on Minnesota as a representative state, the research explores stakeholder opinions on two program options: a comprehensive approach and a condition-specific model. While stakeholders favored a comprehensive structure, they highlighted operational challenges, the necessity of mandatory participation, and the importance of education and marketing efforts. The major takeaway is broad support for the concept, though overcoming operational hurdles and determining cost parameters are crucial for future program development. Contributors: Dale Hall FSA, MAAA, CFA, CERA , Rose Northon, STeven Siegel ASA MAAA, Jon Forster ASA MAAA