Washington.- In a presidential campaign unusually light on health care proposals, Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious and expensive Medicare strategy that could introduce a new category of coverage for home health care.
The proposal could involve Medicare paying for home health coaches to help older adults with daily tasks such as eating and using the bathroom.
That represented a last-minute bid by the Harris campaign to make a major domestic policy overhaul that could be successful among undecided voters.
It’s also a sign of the growing power of Medicare in American lives.
Enrollment has increased steadily over the past decade, as nearly 70 million people are in the program, many of them in private Medicare Advantage plans.
That has made the program an attractive target for candidates seeking to attract voters who are older adults and the family members who care for them, usually under difficult economic circumstances.
Harris’ campaign cited a University of Michigan poll from August that showed more than a quarter of people age 50 and older care for at least one family member or friend who has health problems.
Harris presented the idea on two media outlets that are likely to reach the people most likely to be affected by such a policy: ABC’s The View and on a satellite radio show hosted by Howard Stern.
A spokesperson for Harris’ campaign noted the reach of the vice president’s ad: Although the audience for both shows is in the millions, women represent a significant portion of “The View’s” audience, while men represent the majority. most of those who listen to Stern.
Harris’ proposal comes as more Americans have become familiar with grief, the life-altering work of caring for older relatives.
The number of Americans who will need home care is expected to continue to grow substantially, as the first born after World War II are retiring by the thousands each day.
Harris’ appearance on Stern’s show drove that point home.
“My mother is 97 years old. People still don’t know the cost of caring for an elderly relative, that could leave you bankrupt,” Stern said at one point in the interview.
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