Designing Universal Long-Term Services and Supports Programs: Lessons from Germany and Other Countries
In 2019, Washington State enacted the first universal long-term services and supports (LTSS) program in the United States. It is a social insurance program, like Social Security or Medicare Hospital Insurance, into which virtually all workers contribute and from which all who meet the vesting requirements will be eligible to benefit. Several other states are […]
State Spotlight: Washington’s Multi-Faceted Approach to Worker Safety and Compensation During COVID is Paying Off
States’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to workers’ compensation policy will likely prove an important factor in providing critical support to workers while protecting employers from liability. However, state workers’ compensation programs, as currently constructed, are not well-designed to protect even front-line workers who are disproportionately vulnerable to contracting, becoming ill from, or […]
2020 Social Security Primer
The primer is a PowerPoint presentation that provides factual background about Social Security, its benefits and finances, and some policy options to improve the program.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Access to Health Care
Pandemic Highlights Disparities Across States, Injuries vs. Illnesses
The U.S. workers’ compensation system in its current form is complex, opaque and fragmented. Unlike other social insurance programs, it is wholly administered at the state level, and there is neither federal oversight nor any federal mandate that sets out minimum standards. As a result, there is substantial variation across states in levels of both […]
Social Security Finances: Findings of the 2020 Trustees Report
Medicare Finances: Findings of the 2020 Trustees Report
Fact Sheet: Medicare, Medicaid, and the Uninsured
This fact sheet focuses on provisions of the COVID-19 legislative packages that directly impact Medicare, Medicaid, and the uninsured population. The bills include many provisions to support the Medicare and Medicaid programs and provide greater access to testing for uninsured patients, however, there are still major gaps related to coverage of COVID-19 treatment, affordability of health […]
Fact Sheet: Paid Leave Provisions in Recent Federal COVID-19 Response Legislation
The United States is the only industrialized country without a national program guaranteeing workers some form of paid sick or paid family leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides many U.S. workers with access to unpaid, job-protected time off to provide or receive care. Under this law, a worker is eligible for 12 […]
Examining Approaches to Expand Medicare Eligibility: Key Design Options and Implications
Medicare as a platform to expand covered populations Improving access to affordable, high-quality health coverage and care and containing health care spending remain formidable policy challenges for the United States. Some policymakers and analysts view Medicare as a useful platform for expanding coverage because it has broad popularity, serves as a cost-effective source of health […]