Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday outlined a new Medicare benefit proposal that she said would help families afford the cost of caring for seniors at home.
The Democratic presidential nominee announced the proposal, which would be the first-ever expansion of Medicare to include at-home care, during an appearance on ABC’s “The View.”
“It’s just about helping an aging person prepare a meal or put their sweater on,” Ms. Harris said. “It’s about dignity for that individual. It’s about independence for that individual. People have declining skills to some extent but their dignity, pride, hasn’t declined. They want to stay in their home.”
Ms. Harris, locked in a tight race with Republican rival former President Donald Trump, said the plan is aimed at helping the “sandwich generation” — middle-aged Americans who are simultaneously raising children and caring for their own aging parents.
Under the plan, Medicare will cover the cost of long-term care services — including health aides — for seniors without them having to go to a nursing home.
Ms. Harris said the plan would be fully funded by the savings created through her proposal to negotiate lower prices for a broader list of drugs bought by Medicare. She would also crack down on the hidden costs caused by the use of pharmacy benefit managers, which have driven up health care prices, her campaign said.
“We are going to save Medicare the money [to pay for the proposal] because we are not going to be paying the high prices,” she said, adding it absolutely has to be done.
She said the plan, combined with proposals to lower the cost of child care, will ease the financial burdens of the sandwich generation, which is estimated to be nearly one-quarter of Americans and a large percentage of undecided voters, according to the Harris campaign.
In August, Ms. Harris announced a plan to bring back the COVID-era expanded child tax credits, as well as establish a new $6,000 tax credit for parents of newborns.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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