ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at some of the policy dilemmas facing resources, both human and financial, rather than on the dilemmas of providing care. One of the fundamental problems in getting the public to address the long-term social care issue is the way the United Kingdom has chosen to arrange provision for health care. A number of United States have proposed schemes which encourage people to take out private insurance by offering extra protection for their capital assets from the means test for residential care and also conserve state Medicaid funds. Folk believe that the National Insurance Scheme was intended to be a proper insurance scheme with a real 'ring fenced' fund in existence. All the evidence suggests that private insurance schemes at present offer a poor return on investment and that a simple personal investment plan may offer a better return over a prolonged period.
