Washington, DC – The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) today reiterated the need to include long term care and services for our nation’s frail, elderly and disabled in any health care reform debate.
“The nearly 3 million American’s living in nursing facilities and assisted living communities across the nation deserve the highest quality care and services,” stated Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “In order for their voices to be heard, and for the care and services they need now and will need in the future to continue, long term care must be included in any debate regarding health care reform.”
In a statement for the House of Representative Ways and Means Committee Hearing, Health Reform in the 21st Century: Expanding Coverage, Improving Quality and Controlling Costs, Yarwood highlighted the effect long term care has on state and local economies, stating: Presently, long term care accounts for 1.1 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – $153.8 billion annually – with substantial economic impact in nearly every community across the country. With long term care facilities contributing to the employment of more than 4.4 million individuals, the long term care sector represents one of the few growth areas in the U.S. economy. As a major driver of economic activity, the sector further supports more than $160 billion annually in labor income, and generated $56 billion in tax revenue in 2007 alone.
Stating that the demand for long term care and services is expected to more than double by 2040, Yarwood advocated the need for government, providers and consumers to work together to ensure the care needs of the frail and elderly are met, while still preserving individual choice, and achieving a cost-effective and sustainable system.
“In an effort to bring thoughtful ideas and potential solutions to the table, AHCA/NCAL and the Alliance for Quality Nursing Care have engaged Avalere Health to develop a comprehensive health care reform plan,” Yarwood described. “Our proposal addresses the need for change – both in the financing and delivery of long term and post-acute care. We stand ready to work with you to achieve person-centered, cost-effective, and sustainable long term care that is part of our nation’s overall healthcare system.”
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) represent nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to 1.5 million of our nation's frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org or www.ncal.org.