Long-term services and supports (LTSS) are used by individuals of all ages with functional limitations and chronic illnesses who need assistance to perform routine daily activities.
Long-term services and supports can be costly both for those needing care and for family caregivers. Moreover, these costs often come at a time when individuals and their families are most vulnerable and in a context where they have had little opportunity to prefund or insure against such risks. The fundamental LTSS financing problem today is the absence of an effective insurance mechanism to protect people against these costs.