Caregivers – An Important but Unrewarded Part of Our Healthcare

Most of the caregivers in our country are our spouses, our children, other relatives, or really good friends. They do this out of love and obligation, but these tireless caregivers almost always offer care that rivals any available in our healthcare system and are most appreciated by those they care for. The hours spent by these caregivers are long and yet historically have gone unrewarded.

The unpaid work performed by family caregivers has an estimated value of $600 billion. This mind-boggling amount is perfectly believable when we consider that either ourselves or multiple people, we know are caregivers in some manner. I think the latest pandemic turned a majority of us into caregivers for someone. My observation is that when one of the people in an aging couple experiences some sort of health problem that requires a caregiver, the other person becomes that caregiver. It is also a fact that very often the children of an aging couple become the caregiver for one or both of their parents. It is no secret that these younger caregivers, who likely have a family to care for and are also working often feel overwhelmed with this added responsibility.

A new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that among over 10,000 US adults surveyed during the pandemic, parents, unpaid caregivers of adults, and parent-caregivers had significantly worse mental health outcomes than adults not in these types of roles. Members of the last group, parent-caregivers, handling both parent/guardian and adult-caregiving roles, were twelve times more likely to experience the most extreme of adverse mental health symptoms including serious suicidal thoughts. Twelve times is a big number. It shows the pressure these caregivers are under. One of the problems of caregiving for both young and old loved ones is the financial impact that comes with this responsibility. Financial worries are identified as one of the primary drivers of the deteriorating mental health of these overburdened caregivers. Helping them financially would be a great relief for many of them, since they are often required to get off work to help those they care for, pay for transportation, or help supply them with basic necessities. Since I became involved with advocating for seniors there have been efforts to s to somehow lower this financial burden.

Congress found it was hard to figure out how to help caregivers financially without creating a large, over-regulated, wasteful government program that doesn’t really help the ones that most need assistance. One step that was taken was the RAISE Family Caregivers Act passed in 2018. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and make publicly available a National Family Caregiving Strategy. The first step has been accomplished and they have begun implementing that strategy.

Congress has worked this year to develop and submit the Alleviating Barriers to Caregiving (ABC) Act, introduced by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). This act mandates a transformative shift in processes, paperwork, forms, and eligibility criteria, to make it easier for caregivers who apply for services from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Social Security Administration, and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The convoluted application barriers imbedded in these agencies have made it difficult for caregivers to get access to needed services to help those they care for, and this bill seeks to eliminate these bureaucratic barriers.

One of the ideas that was initially put forth as our lawmakers wrestled with how to make caregivers’ financial life better was offering them a tax break. It was a way for the caregiver to document their costs, in time and resources expended and receive a tax break to offset some of the financial burden they endured. There were even bills proposed that included some tax breaks. I lobbied hard for them, but they never came to fruition. I really liked these solutions because they, one – didn’t use taxes that were already collected and didn’t raise taxes and, two – required an accounting by the caregiver of the time and resources they gave up as they supported those they cared for. The good news is that there is a bill, the Credit for Caring Act, that has been reintroduced this year that focuses on this tax break solution. It was first introduced in 2021 as a bipartisan, bicameral bill that offered a tax break for caregivers. It has been reintroduced this year by in the Senate by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and in the House by Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.). There are many cosponsors and passing this bill would be a great show of cooperation at a time when the approval rating for Congress is at an all-time low. The bill allows an eligible caregiver a tax credit of up to $5,000 for 30% of the cost of long-term care expenses that exceed $2,000 in a taxable year.

While the RAISE Family Caregivers Act is gaining momentum since it was passed in 2018, the two bills that need our support are the Alleviating Barriers to Caregiving Act and the Credit for Caring Act. These two pieces of legislation will begin to reward the often-unrecognized care givers that offer an irreplaceable service to our country’s seniors. Our nation’s long-term care would be in a shambles if it weren’t for these loving caregivers. It’s time we give them a break and reward them for their service. Contact your lawmakers and tell them to support these two important pieces of legislation.

Best, Thair