Should Long Term Care Insurance Be Mandated? 
Whether long-term care insurance should be `` mandated '' requires an associated question : `` Mandated by whom ? '' Also , any question that includes the word `` should '' involves a question of values and may fall into a political category of some kind.The question , however , is a good one . We have a looming crisis that has only just begun . Millions of people will soon be at the age of possibly needing extended care before they pass away . The current `` baby boom '' demographic has hit retirement age and is about 20-30 years from cresting at an age that many may need care before dying . Unless there are many medical advances , care accommodations , and/or technological improvements for elder care , hundreds of thousands of people in their 70s , 80s , and 90s and beyond will need assistance in successfully performing the activities of day-to-day life , such as feeding oneself , getting from one place to another , dressing , bathing , etc.Who is going to provide that care ? First , it will be family -LRB- spouse and/or adult children , if available -RRB- , but beyond that , there is only Medicaid -LRB- Medical in CA -RRB- to provide care services . The problem is that one must become `` indigent '' to qualify for government aid , and one must be admitted to an approved facility to receive care . -LRB- Medicare currently only provides hospital , recovery , and skilled nursing care for a maximum period of 100 days . A hospital stay for a minimum of three days is required to qualify in most cases . -RRB- If the questioner is asking should the government be mandated to provide long-term care , then this is entirely a political question . The government , ultimately , is the tax-payer . Congress is the body of our government that legislates laws.If the questioner is asking should everyone be mandated to purchase their own long-term care coverage , the answer is probably `` no '' . Even though that might seem like a solution , the cost of privately-owned long-term care is currently far beyond the reach of many Americans . Some could not even afford the premiums of a base policy which would n't come close to paying what long-term care might end up costing.A commission formed by Congress is currently meeting to debate and hear testimony on the question of how we , as a society , will handle those that have no family or other support group , do not own long-term care insurance , and are `` taking too long to die '' . This makes the question a moral one , and one that deserves an answer so that people may die with dignity . 