Social Insurance for Long-term Care.

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Social Policy
• Gerontology

Background:

• Long-term care (LTC) services are vital for aging populations.
• Rising demand for LTC contrasts with workforce shortages and financial constraints.
• Financing LTC involves complex economic, equity, and sustainability considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analytically discuss social insurance as an equitable and efficient LTC financing mechanism.
• To compare social insurance models with tax-funded systems.
• To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different LTC financing approaches.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of international LTC financing systems.
• Examination of social insurance models (Germany, Japan).
• Evaluation of tax-funded models (England, USA, Sweden, Denmark).

Main Results:

• Social insurance systems demonstrate potential for greater clarity and public acceptance.
• Dedicated revenue collection and contribution-benefit links enhance system transparency.
• International comparisons highlight varied approaches to LTC funding challenges.

Conclusions:

• Social insurance presents a compelling case for equitable and efficient long-term care financing.
• Clear eligibility criteria and earmarked revenues improve social insurance acceptability.
• Addressing LTC financing requires careful consideration of economic efficiency, equity, and sustainability.