Long-Term Health Care: Is Social Insurance Desirable?

The aging of the U.S. population portends steep increases in the demand for health care services well into the next century. Although many Americans rely on public health programs and private health insurance to provide financial protection for a diverse group of medical risks, the availability of such support for long-term disabilities is woefully inadequate. As of 1992, fewer than 10 percent of those age 65 or older were covered by private long-term care insurance.