Harris Proposes Medicare Benefits for Home Care, Vision and Hearing – The New York Times

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday outlined a new home health proposal on “The View” and described a Medicare expansion plan to help the so-called “sandwich generation” care for elderly parents.

This electorate includes many adults who feel they are straddling the responsibility of raising their children while also needing extra help to keep their parents home.

“There are a lot of people who are right in the middle,” Harris said on ABC's talk show.

She recalled caring for her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, before she died of cancer in 2009. It's about that individual's independence,” she said.

David Grabowksi, a Harvard health policy professor who studies long-term care, said home health care services that last more than a few months are “the biggest gap in Medicare.” Medicaid is a federal program for the poor that covers home care for elderly and disabled Americans who need it, but people must put all their savings in order to qualify. They have to invest money and often face long waiting periods.

Harris' campaign says the plan would be paid for by savings from expanded Medicare price negotiations with drug companies, which is expected to reduce government spending on prescriptions for seniors. But it's unclear how much additional benefits under the Harris plan will cost.

“This is going to be transformational from a care perspective,” Grabowski said, but added that the cost could be very high. “If this costs out, there will be a big shock.”