ABSTRACT
I next turn to the question of how current policy solutions may alter the dynamics of informal care. Policy solutions to the burden of long term care have the potential for serious changes for care workers. Of the leading policy options, private insurance is seen by many as the best way to shift the burden of care from families and Medicaid to the paid private sector. Current attempts to increase private insurance include tax incentives for long term care insurance and publicprivate partnerships for long term care. Despite the focus on private insurance, there is much evidence that private insurance lacks the potential to alter long term care coverage on a large scale. For this reason, policies to increase private insurance coverage are unlikely to significantly reduce the burden of care work on family members.
