Kamala Harris Announces ‘Medicare at Home’ to Improve Elder Care and Raise Health Care Workers’ Pay

2024 US presidential election candidate and vice president Kamala Harris announced on Tuesday the introduction of a long-term care benefit for seniors under Medicare, a public health insurance plan. Harris also said the new plan will guarantee better wages for caregivers.

The plan would cover home care needed by sick seniors in limited circumstances. Currently, the public health insurance plan in the US only covers hospital services.

The Democratic candidate made the announcement in a social media post. Harris also shared her mother’s struggle when she was undergoing cancer treatment to highlight the struggles of patients and even caregivers.

“Today, I’m announcing a historic new Medicare at Home benefit as part of my plan to help families with care needs and strengthen Medicare for the long term. More than 67 million people are covered by Medicare, but many Americans don’t realize that Medicare doesn’t cover long-term care and services like home health aides,” said Kamala Harris in an X post.

‘Care is a matter of dignity not only for the patient, but also for…’: Harris

In announcing the expansion of the Medicare plan, Kamala Harris shared the challenges her mother faced when she was diagnosed with cancer, despite Harris’ repeated attempts to make her comfortable.

“My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was the San Francisco district attorney. I remember preparing meals for her and taking her to appointments. I did what I could to make her comfortable. I found out which clothes were soft enough to not irritate her, and I told her stories to try to make her laugh,” Kamala Harris’ X post read.

Highlighting the financial burden on carers, Harris added: “Caring is about dignity – not just for the patient, but also for the carer. We must reduce costs and alleviate the burdens faced by our caregivers to make it easier for them to provide care while pursuing their aspirations.”