Centering Equity in Long-Term Services and Supports: Lessons from Germany, Japan, and Sweden
The U.S. is long overdue to create a better resourced and more equitable LTSS system.
This report, the final of a three-part series, examines the long-term services and supports (LTSS) financing programs of Germany, Japan, and Sweden while providing lessons for policymakers to consider. The policy decisions for each program involve trade-offs, which can be illuminating for U.S. policymakers as they contemplate building a new LTSS financing program.
The American LTSS system perpetuates existing racial, gender, age, and ability inequities. While several factors contribute to the inequities within our LTSS system, the financing of this system creates foundational conditions which can either support equity or exacerbate inequity.